More good reasons to sell online in the UK
04 December 2010 : Industry News
Some interesting recent research by Ofcom has revealed that UK consumers are early adopters of technology. The UK are happy to access the internet from a smart phone, are comfortable with social networking, are very well connected and are buying very competitively priced broadband services. This all suggests that the UK is an excellent market for retailers (and advertisers) looking to sell online.
Connectivity
Take-up of communications services across the world is continuing at a rapid pace, despite the global recession. Ofcom’s consumer research reveals that across the six countries it surveyed, expenditure on communications services remains resilient with people less likely to cut down on communications services, and in particular broadband (6-7%), than they are on other areas such as nights out (39-56%) or holidays (29-51%).
UK households have comparatively high levels of take-up of communications services, with among the highest take-up of landlines, fixed broadband connections, mobile connections and digital TV at the end of 2009.
Germany has the highest landline take-up with 85% of the population having a landline (84% in the UK). Italy has the highest mobile take-up with 95% of the population owning a mobile phone (91% in the UK), and the Netherlands has the highest fixed broadband take-up (85 connections per 100 households, 70 in UK).
Spending patterns
Ofcom’s research shows that internet users in the UK say they made more than double the number of online purchases in the past six months than internet users in any other major European country except Poland (19 and 14 online purchases respectively). The next country was Germany with nine purchases.
In addition, the total value of online purchases internet users said they made in the past six months was highest in the UK with £1,031. This was nearly double the amount spent by internet users in the next-placed country, Germany with £595.
Despite super-fast broadband being available in some parts of the comparator countries, fewer than one in 50 households in the UK, France, Italy, Germany and Spain had a superfast broadband connection at the end of 2009. This compares to 34% of Japanese households.
Summary
So we have a little way to go if we are to catch up with Japan and their super-fast broadband. However, there is a lot to be happy about if you sell on line or are planning to do so.
In either scenario, you may well require help managing the workload of fulfilling orders and customer service. You may also yearn for a phone sales channel to compliment your online shop. Make sure you call David Alliston on 0845 521 2240 to discuss the fulfilment and order processing services AASM provide.
