As we enter 2009 the UK high street is starting to resemble something of a ghost town with up to 1600 retail companies on the verge of going out of business. While there has been much mention of the economic downturn in the UK and around the world it would appear that broadband has played a major part with online shopping now more popular than ever before. So what has caused the shift between off-line and online shopping?
While it would be wrong to say that the UK online retail sector has been slow to respond to online opportunities it is the impact of the ever-growing popularity of broadband which has been the final ingredient to a potentially perfect mix. The ability to surf the Internet at speed, increased security and a substantial reduction in overheads for online retailers would appear to have been the “straw which broke the camel’s back” and pushed the online retail sector to the fore. So will this trend continue as and when the economy recovers?
Many people believe that consumer confidence in the online retail industry has improved dramatically over the last few months and a corner appears to have been turned. The massive range of goods on offer, substantial discounts available and delivery to your door step also appear to have played a major part in this ongoing move to online shopping.