As the spring sun slowly crawls up the Thames and warms up London's cold streets, people are emerging from their winter cocoons to embark on some springtime shopping. The longer, brighter and warmer days all make for happier and more comfortable trips to Oxford Street, Brick Lane and Westfield.
And in the midst of this blossoming shopping spree, we have analysed the habits of 62,000 people shopping in the capital and discovered some surprising truths about London shoppers. Here are the most interesting facts to keep in mind next time you find yourself elbowing the crowds in a busy London shopping centre.
Men in London are More Likely to Splash the Cash than Women
The metrosexual male is alive and well in the shopping hubs of London, so much so that they are flipping the idea of their shopaholic female counterparts on their head.
While shopping spend is perhaps unsurprisingly higher in London overall than anywhere else in the country, men actually spend 2 per cent more than women when shopping in London - on average £61 per trip.
On top of this, men are also more likely to spend more when shopping online than women. When trawling the internet London's men spend over 29 per cent more - the average spend online for men in London last month was £293 - and also have a higher online conversion rate - over 5 per cent - than women.
Convenience is King
The reliance on services such as click and collect also reveals an interesting trend amongst those living in the capital to look for speedy and convenient solutions to their shopping needs.
London shoppers are 39 per cent more likely than other Brits to combine online and physical shopping like this, demonstrating a requirement for retailers to meet the growing lifestyle demands of the busy Londoner.
Window-shopping isn't Dead
While Londoners spend more when shopping overall, the same group is also more inclined to go to a store to see and try things on - without buying anything at all!
CACI's figures show that window-shopping is a popular pass-time in the capital, and those who go shopping in London spend on average 6 per cent longer in stores and shopping centres than other Brits.
Indeed, the people of London are, in fact, more than happy to view shopping as just another leisure activity. This point is reflected in that London shoppers visit shops 9 per cent more frequently than people in the rest of the country.
London Shoppers Certainly Have a Healthy Appetite
Perhaps the clearest indication that London shoppers see shopping as a leisure activity is how much money they spend on food while shopping. London men spend a third more than others on eating (+30 per cent), and London women spend 33 per cent more than the rest of the country.
Granted, restaurants and cafes in the capital are more expensive than in the rest of Britain. But the price difference is still less than what London shoppers spend on their binge eating shopping trips, indicating that those in London have a healthy appetite.
But who IS Actually a London Shopper?
With house price hikes, London is more than ever before a city of commuters and visitors. As such, London shoppers are in fact not always London dwellers (as much as one out of three people you see in a shop in London don't actually live in the capital) but there is something very unique about the retail and lifestyle environment in the capital that encourages a very particular kind of shopping habit.
As a dynamic city, London thrives off its demographically diverse population. It's this mixed population that is the foundation of London's position as a global city populated by richer, younger, more digital, bigger-spending leisure lovers.