The first quarter of 2013 has brought good news for UK webpreneurs.
For British retailers to thrive it is extremely important that they promote e-commerce, according to the British Online Retailing Association (BritORA). The failure of HMV which called in receivers in January is evidence that endorsing e-commerce is critically important for businesses to survive in 2013. Further evidence of this was the failure of big players: Comet and Jessops. The British retail scenario is in for a change and makeover thanks to the ready options that consumers find available online.
Adrian Quine, Director of the BritORA, stated that lower costs for its members provide reinforcement in the form of a more competitive and challenging market situation. He quoted Deloitte, which as administrator for HMV, has found that the usage of Smartphone and tablets has increased 500 percent. Around twenty-one percent users do shopping through Smartphones and Tablets.
Both Bloomberg and the BBC Radio 1 show ‘Newsbeat’ emphasised BritORA’s findings: There has been a phenomenal increase in m-commerce and it has been estimated that the usage of smartphones and tablets will soon outdo the domestic usage of PCs in the UK.
Gary Peet, speaking on behalf of Quantum Leap Ltd (long-time DVD suppliers for HMV), said that the change in the marketplace was definitely expected. He attributed HMV’s crisis to the rising popularity and ease of downloading music and films, because while HMV was crashing, Quantum Leap’s direct online sales were soaring.
Other factors which strengthen the case of e-commerce include a universal 4G internet access (which is 5 times faster than the current conventional internet coverage).
Oliver Ropars, spokesperson for eBay, said that it is an opportunity now for retailers to convert the current scenario into a profitable one since the retailers are now aware that consumers can be won over by an ultimate shopping experience with the convenience and speed of e-commerce. eBay’s latest research findings indicate that £800million and £1billion will be added to the UK market by current mobile shoppers and new users respectively, bringing in an additional £1.8billion.
Adrian Quine stated that BritORA thinks it is necessary to for businesses to fully upgrade their websites ready for this influx of m-commerce and tablet-browsing.
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