A study just released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) looks into how spending has changed since the end of coronavirus restrictions.

The study shows:

• Shopping online became the norm during the coronavirus pandemic, but for some sectors, the sharp shift towards online purchases may be more lasting.
• Despite restrictions easing and people returning to the shops, there are some things we’re buying online more, notably in the categories of “clothing”, “electrical household appliances”, and “sports equipment, games and toys”.
• Inflation and the cost-of-living are also causing people to reduce their delayable expenditure and how much food they are buying.
• Some of the changes in sector spending may be owing to people taking up hobbies, well-being activities or lifestyle changes during lockdowns.

Overall, the study says we’re still spending substantially more online than before the pandemic. However, in recent months, we’ve started shifting back towards shopping in-store.

It also looks at age differences in spending and what people are buying more or less of compared with before the pandemic.

Read How our spending has changed since the end of coronavirus restrictions