According to Quidco, a cash-back website, 62 per cent of all shoppers consult online communities or third-party websites such as review sites and price-comparison sites before making a purchase.

Impulse buying has taken a big hit with credit crunch woes - only 27 per cent of shoppers go directly to the retailer, research from the company found.

The reasons offered for using online communities were that they offer unbiased information about products (32 per cent), trustworthy reviews (27 per cent) and that you can find the best deal through these websites (27 per cent).

With revenue from online shopping expected to hit nearly £50bn by 2012, third-party review sites will become more influential for surfers looking to get the best deal, according to the report.

Paul Nikkel, co-founder of Quidco, said: "In the past, some retailers may have perceived third-party communities to be 'middlemen', but this research shows consumers clearly value them as trusted brands in their own right."

www.quidco.com

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