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Broadband services and 'the changing face of online shopping'
Thursday 26th November 2009, by Daniel King
The growth of the internet has not only changed the way people shop, it has also revolutionised how fashion is sold, it has been claimed.
According to the latest IMRG Capgemini e-Retail Sales Index, UK consumers spent some £4.2 billion online in October alone.
This represents not only an 8.4 per cent increase on September's figures, but also year-on-year growth of 11.8 per cent - and was achieved in spite of the fact some buyers opted to put their purchases on hold due to the two-week postal strike.
However, it is not only the volume of online sales that has altered as a result of the rising popularity of broadband internet access, but also the way in which consumers make their purchases.
TheOutnet.com, for example, explained the growth of 'e-tail' has helped give many of its customers year-long access to reduced-price brands.
"Discounting is something that used to happen in friends and family sales, sample sales or in bricks and mortar outnets 25 miles away from the flagship," the site's director Stephanie Phair said.
"Brands managed to maintain their image within the confines of their retail state and discounting was something very separate. The internet has changed all of that. The internet demands transparency."
These comments come as online retailers gear up for their busiest festive period to date.
Newly-published figures from eDigitalResearch show 93 per cent of Britons plan on doing at least some of their Christmas shopping online this year, with 88 per cent of these planning on shopping around and comparing prices before making a commitment to buy.
Categories: Broadband, Internet Security
