Online shopping growth continues

Category: Ecommerce

July 21st 08, 08:53

E-commerce websites are continuing to increase in popularity among UK consumers for shopping purposes, the latest IMRG Capgemini e-Retail Sales Index has shown.

New figures for the first half of 2008 revealed that more than £26.5 billion was shelled out by Britons on purchases made via an e-commerce website during the period, up 38 per cent compared with last year.

According to Mike Petevinos, head of retail consulting for Capgemini UK, this growth - which means that 17p of every shopping pound is now spent online - looks set to continue into the future.

He noted that as the online medium grabs more market share, retailers are likely to change their business models to reflect this.

"We have seen this happen for books, music/DVDs and electricals and as the industry as a whole reaches this tipping point in 2008, more categories are sure to follow," he remarked.

Meanwhile, Britons are increasingly wising up the need to check website security when conducting online shopping activities, according to a recent PayPoint survey, with consumers likely to look for indicators such as a web browser padlock icon and logos associated with reputable payment organisations like Visa.

This news story was brought to you by Bluhalo, a leading UK digital agency.

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