UK Online Sales Rise, Driven by Travel - eMarketer

UK Online Sales Rise, Driven by Travel - eMarketer: "UK Online Sales Rise, Driven by Travel
JUNE 1, 2007


High speed to High Street, please.
UK retail e-commerce sales are estimated to reach $51.8 billion (£28.1 billion) in 2011, up from $21.6 billion (£10.9 billion) in 2006, according to Verdict Research. "

Online sales tripled from 2002 to 2006, and grew nearly 13 times faster than the overall retail sector in 2006.

Verdict said online shopping has grown because broadband Internet access is now widely available in the UK at low cost. Major retailers have also made large investments in transactional Web sites.
Interactive Media in Retail Group (IMRG), as cited in a May 21, 2007, Financial Times article, also noted the rise in UK online spending. Looking at B2C e-commerce overall, the firm counted travel as the biggest online sector, followed by electronic products and apparel.
IMRG also said British shoppers are now buying larger and more expensive goods online, such as furniture and kitchen appliances.
eMarketer's own projections for B2C e-commerce made in September 2006 included travel, event tickets and digital downloads, and estimated a total of $104.4 billion in 2010. Growth in online travel spending accounts for much of the difference from the Verdict numbers.

UK online shoppers outspend even American consumers. eMarketer estimates the average UK spend in 2006 was $2,171, compared with $1,831 in the United States.
eMarketer Senior Analyst Jeffrey Grau said, "The UK is the leading retail e-commerce market in Europe, with online sales having hit full stride. UK consumers are comfortable purchasing durable goods on the Internet, and online holiday sales have been very strong the past couple of seasons."