Source: Nomensa,
Deloitte
Half of consumers buy more online than they did a year ago
According to new research, almost half of consumers – 46% – purchase more online than they did a year ago.
The research also showed that 69% of people will do their Christmas gift shopping online this year, while 56% of consumers wished more retailers offered online shopping.
Over 50% of consumers said that they prefer to shop online because it’s more convenient. However, 61% said retailers need to offer a more flexible service, such as the ability to buy online and collect in-store.
Ian Geddes, retail consulting partner at Deloitte who conducted the research said,
"Online retailing continues to grow at a much faster pace than the overall retail market. As recently as 2005, the online market was worth under £9bn. By 2010 we forecast the market will be worth over £25bn.
While this is still a relatively small part of the total retail market, the influence of online has a much wider reach. The digital age has embedded itself in mainstream life. "
Many online retailers expect to see an increase in the next year, as 85% said they expect online sales to increase.
According to the report, the most popular items to buy online are clothing and books (41%), DVDs (36%), music (32%) and tickets for cinema, theatre and sports events (31%).