SCOTTISH shoppers have been identified as the most willing consumers in the UK to pay more for ethical items and back independent restaurants.

The poll of 3081 people, including 264 in Scotland, found 64% of Scots would happily pay more for items with a proven ethical or environmental benefit, compared with 54% across the UK.

When asked what they wanted to see more of in their shopping streets and malls, 53% named independent restaurants, compared with 45% UK-wide.

Just over a quarter (27%) of Scottish respondents said they buy groceries online – the second lowest after Yorkshire and Humberside.

The YouGov survey found that the majority of young consumers in the UK prefer shopping in store to buying online. Almost 80% of 18 to 24-year-olds would choose “bricks over clicks”.

In Scotland, 27% of those surveyed would welcome a branch of Amazon to their local high street, and 20% would like to see an ASOS store.