Using online price comparison sites is an increasingly integral part of the shopping process for UK consumers, according to new research.

A study from business data providers Lightspeed Research shows that 75 per cent of 1,000 18 to 64-year-olds surveyed have compared prices online ahead of making a purchase in the last six months.

Only 13 per cent of respondents said they had not conducted pre-purchase research, price comparison or looked at online reviews in the last half-year period before buying a product – either on the high street or on the web.

The popularity of comparing prices on the internet seems to apply to most retail sectors, with Lightspeed indicating that consumers go through this process when buying expensive items like personal technology and white goods, as well as smaller items such as clothing and books.

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