Craft Business

The UK is driving the European online revolution, according to latest figures from Mintel. The market research company's new e-commerce report found that when it comes to buying online, shoppers in the UK are well ahead of those in Germany, France, Italy and Spain. UK online sales were worth 18.5 billion Euros (£12.8 billion) last year and are predicted to grow by 199% to hit 56 billion Euros by 2012. "The UK has by far and away the most developed online market in Europe," comments Richard Perks, director of retail research at Mintel.

Wendy Gale, owner of The Stamp Attic in Wantage, Oxon, has found the website she started in 2001 to be a distinct advantage and has experienced growth in her online sales. “It started off well and has expanded a lot over time,” she says. “The hit results are increasing month on month.” Unusually, her success in selling from home and online led to her opening a bricks and mortar business three years ago. Rather than being a standalone entity, the website supports her activities in-store. “I definitely find having a website an advantage, because you can reach a wider market,” she says. “I get a lot of traffic through the shop, with customers travelling because they want to see the wider range I have in-store. A lot of people say they saw our website, but the biggest comment I get is that it's easy to buy an ink pad or a punch online, but with papers or stamps they like to see and touch things.”