Escalating fuel costs tempt consumers to shop from home

According to a report released by the UK trade group – the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising (IPA), while retrieving information from the Web and communicating with others are the two most prominent online activities of the Internet users in the UK, purchasing goods and services are a close third on their priority list.

Till some time back, most Internet users in the UK primarily used the online services to make travel arrangements or book hotel accommodation. But over the years the use of the Internet as well as the assortment of products purchased online have grown significantly. The online purchase of books, music, tickets, clothes and even electronic gadgets have for long been the leading retail items in their e-commerce list.

Currently, all large supermarket chains in the UK have exclusive and well ingrained online stores that are not only dependable, but also have effective delivery systems. Consequently, this has made online grocery shopping particularly appealing to the consumers. A survey conducted throughout the UK found that 44 per cent of the respondents across the nation were attuned to online grocery shopping. In London, the figure was higher as nearly half of the population there said that they had shopped grocery online.

Internet marketing analysts feel that this new and growing trend is like music to the online retailers’ ears. According to Karin von Abrams, a senior analyst with an e-commerce website, the rising fuel costs will only help to increase the number of online shoppers in the UK and elsewhere. If these online consumers are assured that they are receiving the best value for their money, there is no reason why they wouldn’t prefer shopping from the comforts of the home.

A study conducted by Verdict Research has projected that spending on the retail e-commerce will touch the £44.9 billion ($83.9 billion) mark in 2012.

On the other hand, compared to the Verdict Research report, the Mintel International Group has forecast little lesser online retail sales in the UK during the same period. Mintel’s report projects the sales to be around €56.0 billion ($73.36 billion) in 2012. Incidentally, though both the companies have made projections for 2012, neither of them has published the online retail sales figures for 2008!

Meanwhile, Karin von Abrams has stated that apart from the existing retail online businesses, more and more companies dealing in diverse items are sure to benefit from this growing trend of online purchases. According to Ms von Abrams, despite the current worldwide economic slump, efficiently operated department stores like the UK bedrock retailer John Lewis are likely to reap the benefits of shopping through the Internet.

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