Almost half of people who shop online do so because they don't want to go out and talk to anyone.

This anti-social, if wholly understandable, finding comes courtesy of Barclays Bank which revealed that four out of ten people believe the best thing about online shopping is not having to speak to anyone if they don't want to.

And there are any benefits too - above and beyond not having to make idle chit-chat with complete strangers.

The survey of also found that people could save themselves up to seven days a year if they shopped online instead.

Apparently, you can save 64 hours a year - the equivalent of seven Saturdays spent traipsing up and down the high street shopping - if you shop online.

Which is great...cos it would give some people more time to go...err...shopping. ®