Over a quarter of shoppers now follow retailers on social media, according to the 2015 Shopper Barometer, a study of current trends and future consumer habits of UK shoppers.
Conducted by Future Thinking, the research shows the growing importance of social media within consumer buying, with 44% of shoppers following brands in the hope of receiving discounts and rewards for their loyalty, and 26% following retailers.

The biggest group of users following brands on social media are under 35s (60%), followed closely by families (59%) and women (51%). More than half (52%) 'like' or 'follow' brands, with Facebook (93%) and Twitter (52%) being the most popular platforms.

A third (32%) of UK shoppers use social media platforms to seek advice or leave an opinion about a product or brand.

Future Thinking's research also found that the most popular new technology is card-only checkouts in supermarkets (69%), followed by barcode technology (59%) and click-and-collect hubs (57%).

Future Thinking head of shopper insight Noreen Kinsey said: "Despite the well-documented buzz around rapid advances in technology, including delivery drones and mobile payments, it's interesting to see that this hype is not generally reflected amongst consumers.

"The biggest opportunity for consumers and retailers appears to be on social media, where users are engaging in the hope of receiving discounts, and retailers can employ more effective marketing to a captive audience."