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UK Shoppers Lead the Way With Online Sales
Listed under: News
Published: Monday, February 01, 2010
British shoppers spent more online than any other nation in Europe last year, accounting for almost a thrid of all European sales in 2009, according to a recent report from market research company, the Centre for Retail Research (CRR).
The statistics, which reveal that the British public spent a whopping £38 billion on the internet last year, amounting to approximately £1,102 per person, are further evidence of the growing popularity of online shopping, which now accounts for almost 10% of all retail sales in the UK.
The findings also highlight a shift in consumer behaviour, which has seen a growing number of shoppers substantially increase the amount they are willing to spend online, with many people now prepared to pay more than £1,000 per purchase at any given time, rising from 12% in 2008, to approximately 25% in 2009.
The report predicts that this figure is expected to rise considerably over the next few years, reaching around £42.7 billion by 2010. Other big spenders across Europe include Germany, which spent a total of £29.7 billion online in 2010, and the French, who forked out a staggering £22 billion via their computers last year.
Speaking to BBC News, Bruce Fair, managing director of online shopping and price comparison site Kelkoo, which commissioned the report, says, "This is the year when we will really start to see online sales achieving a significant share of overall retail trade in the UK.
"In these hard times, it is no surprise that shoppers are turning to the internet rather than high street, especially when you consider that purchasing items online can result in savings of 20% or more,” he adds.
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The statistics, which reveal that the British public spent a whopping £38 billion on the internet last year, amounting to approximately £1,102 per person, are further evidence of the growing popularity of online shopping, which now accounts for almost 10% of all retail sales in the UK.
The findings also highlight a shift in consumer behaviour, which has seen a growing number of shoppers substantially increase the amount they are willing to spend online, with many people now prepared to pay more than £1,000 per purchase at any given time, rising from 12% in 2008, to approximately 25% in 2009.
The report predicts that this figure is expected to rise considerably over the next few years, reaching around £42.7 billion by 2010. Other big spenders across Europe include Germany, which spent a total of £29.7 billion online in 2010, and the French, who forked out a staggering £22 billion via their computers last year.
Speaking to BBC News, Bruce Fair, managing director of online shopping and price comparison site Kelkoo, which commissioned the report, says, "This is the year when we will really start to see online sales achieving a significant share of overall retail trade in the UK.
"In these hard times, it is no surprise that shoppers are turning to the internet rather than high street, especially when you consider that purchasing items online can result in savings of 20% or more,” he adds.
What do you think? Email me your thoughts at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
