E by gum-commerce

Online sales set to rise

It is only five Christmases since the major retailers were pouring scorn on the likelihood of significant gift sales being conducted on line. All manner of experts offered their wisdom, in particular the expectation that only a limited range of products would lend themselves to this form of trading. In this latter regard, the sale of books - and some other known products - were used as typical examples of low hanging fruit.

Subsequently, most of the chains have grudgingly acknowledged that there is a potential market for a broader range of their wares; notwithstanding their huge investment in premises and the business dilemma that this presents.

Recent figures and research indicate that terrorism, weather, economic downturn and all the other high street "threats" are having no effect on the growth of internet sales. The graph for sales by value and all other parameters is starting to look like a cliff face, such is the acceleration in usage.

The figures are staggering by any standard; consider July 2007; £4.2 billion of sales, representing an increase of 80% over the same period last year and leaving conventional high street sales belly up. (They increased by just 3.3%.) It would appear that the march of the internet purchaser is inexorable and the breadth of products which shoppers are prepared to purchase is as yet unmeasured. All forecasts have been blown away and only the foolhardy would put a number against the likely future market, other than to predict huge growth.

Existing large organisations are under threat from this explosion. Both new and small businesses can compete with the major players in a market where quality and price are king.

And of course we are not writing all this guff during working hours because we want to be a provider of news.......actually, we would like to help you help yourself to this rapidly expanding market.

Please give Adrian or Matt a call on 0113 2311066 or contact us by e-mail. To see some examples of our work in this field, have a look at our Web Case Studies.