Two thirds of online shoppers want retailers whose pages load quickly, which could affect their choice of auction websites.
Research by networking firm Brocade has found that slow speeds are many people’s pet digital peeve.
One in four say they would shop elsewhere if they are left waiting for ten seconds or more, while half would leave if it took 20 seconds for the page to load.
Paul Phillips, regional director for UK and Ireland at the company, claims that many people choose to shop online and at auction websites due to their convenience.
He calls for the government to take actions to make things easier for computer users.
Mr Phillips says: “The UK’s current network infrastructure is struggling to cope with its appetite for online shopping and if the government and retailers don’t act fast they could well be on Santa’s naughty list next year.”
Earlier this month, eDigitalResearch’s director Chris Russell claimed that the online shopping world is changing due to the growing popularity of devices such as the iPhone.