Is it the end of the line for British queueing?

QUEUING is supposed to be a national trait of the British – but research reveals that our tolerance for standing in line may finally be waning.

High street stores are losing £3.4billion a year to shoppers who tire of waiting and walk out, a survey has found.

In part, this is because the ease of internet shopping has lowered our threshold for delays at the till, say researchers at London-based firm Qudini.

They say stores are losing up to a tenth of their customers who walk out because they were fed up of waiting to be served. Although most will go elsewhere, a quarter will abandon their purchase entirely, costing the UK economy the £3.4billion in lost sales.

Qudini boss Imogen Wethered said: ‘Customers expect retailers to deliver a superior service and in-store experience.

‘Long waiting times are no longer acceptable.’

Gorkan Ahmetoglu, lecturer in psychology at University College London, explained why frustrated shoppers often abandon their purchase, saying: ‘Impulsive buying relies on emotional evaluations such as the thrill of getting a discounted price. With the abundance of goods and discounts, one could be certain that a better deal might be on the way.

‘So, while waiting in a queue, a shopper might rethink their emotional decisions and start considering other better options. And usually this voice in our head comes right before we settle on a decision.’