Date posted:
15 January 2012
The Interactive Media in Retail Group (IMRG) estimate a £68.2bn online spend in the UK in 2011 – a 16% growth on 2010. "Compared to offline, it is a massive thing," said the IMRG spokesman Andy Mulcahy.
"Click and collect", where customers can reserve items online and pick up in store, represented 10.4% of all orders placed in the third quarter, up from 7.4% the previous quarter.
Mobile shopping is also increasing rapidly. Around 15% of Google search queries now go through mobile devices – including iPads and internet-enabled Kindles, said Mulcahy. "Both sold really well over Christmas, so expect that to rise."
Shops hoping to capitalise on this are offering free wireless connections. Mulcahy said John Lewis is "really going after the mobile online sale" by inviting customers to do an in-store price match. In-store "virtual mirrors" are turning shopping into a social network, he added, where customers can drag clothing items on to their reflected virtual image, post this to Facebook or other networking sites, and get instant feedback from friends.
Technology is also being developed into the tracking of mobile phone users in shopping centres, as well as enabling viewers to buy items through digital TV and interact with adverts. Contactless NFC (near field communication) technology in smartphones enables shoppers to pay without using cash or a card. But, said Mulcahy, the growth of online will not see the end of bricks-and-mortar shops. "It's just going to become more blurred. The two will fuse together."
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