Say goodbye to ‘hello’ and ‘hey’ to ‘alright’ – people turn their backs on traditional greetings including ‘good morning’ and ‘good afternoon’

• The likes of ‘Hey’ and ‘Alright?’ are topping list of the nation’s favourite greetings
• Formal handshake is out and has been replaced with a more relaxed approach 
• Men are twice as likely to use a fist bump than women, according to the research

Britons could soon be waving goodbye to ‘hello’ as research reveals half the nation wants to ditch the ‘outdated’ phrase.

Almost nine in 10 people (86 per cent) are starting to move away from traditional phrases such as ‘good afternoon’, ‘good morning, and ‘pleasure to meet you’, a survey has found.

Instead, the UK is leaning towards more colloquial terms – with the likes of ‘Hey’ and ‘Alright?’ topping the list of the nation’s favourite greetings.

According to the research, the formal handshake is also out and has been replaced with a more relaxed approach, such as the nod (36 per cent), the hug (31 per cent) and the fist bump (28 per cent) – with men twice as likely to use a fist bump than women.

Almost nine in 10 people (86 per cent) are starting to move away from traditional phrases such as ‘good afternoon’, ‘good morning, and ‘pleasure to meet you’, a survey has found

But the survey of 2,000 people, carried out by Westfield London, also revealed that over three-quarters of Brits would feel awkward if a shop worker greeted them informally, such as giving them a fist bump or saying ‘What’s up?’ while they were shopping.

Nearly half of the respondents (45 per cent) believe it is unprofessional to be greeted informally by staff and would prefer to be acknowledged with more formal phrases in this setting.

Westfield London has taken steps to preserve traditional greetings for visitors to its shopping centres by employing TikTok star Troy Hawke – whose extravagant greeting style has helped make him a viral success – as a ‘professional greeter’.

His greetings to shoppers will include ‘You’ve got a no-nonsense stride, but I bet you’re fun at parties’ and ‘I’m sorry but I’ve got a sartorial goddess here needing help.’

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The survey of 2,000 people, carried out by Westfield London, also revealed that over three-quarters of Brits would feel awkward if a shop worker greeted them informally, such as giving them a fist bump or saying ‘What’s up?’ while they were shopping

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