Retailers risk losing billions of the ‘purple pound’ for failing to prioritise accessibility
A survey released by Research Without Barriers (RWB) sends a clear message to retailers: prioritise accessibility or risk billions in online sales, potentially alienating a significant share of British consumers.
The results from the survey – commissioned by ecommerce agency Quickfire Digital – reveal that 55 per cent of UK consumers say they have discarded a purchase due to accessibility issues either online or instore.
This abandonment translates to a significant financial blow for UK retailers, extending well beyond the confines of the ‘purple pound’.
Over half also believe retailers should include people of various disabilities when testing their ecommerce websites.
Online challenges highlighted by respondents included finding the design journey illogical and complicated, with 17 per cent confused about how to pay and 16 per cent having trouble with the fonts and the colours used.
For 12 per cent, sites fail to recognise specific needs and adapt while nine per cent felt there was a lack of audible information. Seven per cent noted that videos were missing captions and had trouble understanding what’s happening.
However, in surveying a nationally representative selection of UK consumers, Quickfire Digital’s results suggest the problem of accessibility in retail spans far beyond this, with 54 per cent saying they’ve faced accessibility issues while shopping on ecommerce sites.
For the retailer ignoring these challenges, there is not only a moral obligation missed, the survey found, but also a significant loss of sales involved.
With the UK’s online retail sales valued at £224 billion in 2022 and over half of those surveyed facing accessibility issues shopping online, UK retailers ignoring digital accessibility risk forfeiting a potential £120 billion.
Nathan Lomax, co-founder and director at Quickfire Digital, comments on the results: “We’ve known for a while that the retail market is struggling as it is, with inflation contributing to a sharp decline in online retail sales in 2022.
“We’ve also known for a while that estimates from Purple (a UK-based disability organisation) show there are 4.3 million disabled online shoppers who click away from inaccessible websites; equating to a combined spending power of £11.75 billion in the UK.
But the results from our survey reveal that there is an untold cost of ignoring the accessibility market that is well in excess of Purple’s already shocking stats.
“Disabled-friendly retail organisations do exist – and experts agree that the disabled community is fiercely loyal to them – but retailers must do more. It’s time to redefine the accessibility market and broaden its reach to make online retail accessible to all. If not, they risk alienating a huge proportion of UK consumers and losing out on billions.”
Further key findings that support the call to action for accessibility to become more relevant, include 43 per cent think retailers should employ more people with disabilities to work on these sites, as they will be aware of issues others may not.
Approximately 37 per cent (cutting across all demographics) welcome the idea of the introduction of a universal, legally and government-mandated web accessibility standard that all online retailers must adhere to may also be necessary to ensure retailers prioritise inclusivity.
At the moment, a kitemark of any kind like this does not exist and any regulations that are in place typically apply to specific sectors or types of organisations.
The requirements can also hugely vary. In the EU, for example, the Web Accessibility Directive requires only certain public sector websites and mobile apps to meet specific accessibility standards based on WCAG.
“Based on our results, it’s clear there’s work to be done. Simple changes can make retail websites more accessible and can help everyone, not just users with disabilities. By involving disabled individuals in website design and testing, retailers can forge digital environments that appeal to a wider audience, thereby increasing their revenue potential,” Lomax adds.
The RWB survey comes after a more optimistic recent report by the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and The MBS Group which revealed that 80 per cent of retailers are focusing on disability in their diversity and inclusion (D&I) strategies compared to 50 per cent in 2021.
