With the winter weather settling in, Brits are ditching their bike ride to work and investing in ‘commuter entertainment’ as eBay reveals a sharp increase in bicycle listings and a rise in sales of technology items. The new research shows that the nation is opting for a dryer and warmer commute this autumn with 51% of us now using public transport to get to work each day, compared to just 38% last month.
The research also revealed that for almost half of the nation (48%), a smartphone is the essential tech item to have when commuting, with a third of us (31%) opting to listen to music for entertainment. 13% of the nation uses a smartphone on their journey to catch up with friends whilst 12% of commuters prefer to browse social media sites and 1 in 10 of us snap up the opportunity to treat ourselves with a spot of online shopping on the go. 23% of Brits said an iPad would be their essential tech item for their commute, whilst 8% would opt for a games console.
Whilst commuters are entertaining themselves through technology they are actually irritating others around them. eBay’s research has identified that the most common commuting bugbears include overhearing other people’s music (36%) and people talking loudly on their phone as they share their private conversation with the world (30%).
Sales of sound-proof headphones have risen by 35% on eBay over the last month, with sales of iPads also on the up, this time by 25%. Additionally, listings of bicycles have shot up 30% since August as commuters cash in on the fair-weather form of transport this autumn and opt for a more entertaining trip to the office.
eBay spokesman, Steven Heywood, says; “As the winter weather sets in and Brits are opting for public transport to get to work it seems that its more important than ever for us to have the perfect technology products to accompany us. With over 400,000 iPad listings currently on the site, eBay offers commuters the perfect platform to get what they need to stay entertained on their journey to work.”
Other irritations included 25% of commuters saying that the habit that winds them up the most is when people don’t offer up their seat to a person less able to stand, whilst 1 in 10 of us hate it when fellow passengers take up an extra seat with their bag.
ENDS
For more information please contact the eBay press office at Shine Communications on:
eBayteam@shinecom.com or 020 7100 7100
*eBay worked with Censuswide to survey 1,004 people, October 2013
eBay delivers one of the world’s largest online marketplaces to customers via any connected device, connecting people with the things they need and love. Founded in 1995 and opening in the UK in 1999, eBay has almost 19 million unique visitors per a month in the UK and Ireland. Around 70% of listings are for new, fixed-price items and the UK site is home to more than 100 top brands and retailers.
eBay, Inc. enables commerce by delivering flexible and scalable solutions that foster merchant growth through its eBay Marketplaces, PayPal and eBay Enterprise brands. For more information visit www.ebayinc.com