Research in America suggests that shopping online has now become more of a chore than a pleasure and that consumers are getting ready to return to the high street.
There are many theories cited for this change in behaviour from Americans, chief amongst them are that online shopping 'is too much like work', delivery costs are spiraling and that online stores aren't personable.
The US is expected to reach a staggering £88.4 billion this year but this is deemed to be the peak by experts with the general consensus being that the figure will fall.
We aren't convinced.
While some of these facts may be relevant to the American marketplace, we aren't sure you can apply the same logic to a UK audience.
High street and online shopping currently co-exists nicely and there is clearly room for both, but if anything it appears that online spending will increase while offline business may continue to fall.
For a start there is the issue of price, where we believe the best deals can still be found can still be found on the internet, largely due to the lower costs faced by online companies and also the ease of search through price comparison services such as
Confused.com and
Kelkoo. Other strong price incentives include concepts like shopping points and cashback that are exclusive to the internet.
Work/life balance is also a major talking point in the current climate. Many of us are working longer hours than ever before and there is an emphasis on spending more time with friends and family. Shopping online is undoubtedly a quicker and slicker experience to the high street hustle and bustle.
And speaking of climate........
The Great British weather is one massive incentive for UK shoppers to avoid the queues and remain online. While millions of our American cousins can bask in beautiful weather while they shop, there is a good chance that the British shopper can expect a downfall of torrential rain on a visit to the nearest shopping centre.
The idea of a personable shopping experience is much coveted for shoppers, but sadly due to the decline in independent businesses and the growth of faceless multinationals, the idea of a genuinely personable shopping trip seems like a reference to a bygone age. It is a sad reality that a scowl rather than a warm welcome may await you at chain stores across the country thanks to poor wages and demoralising management techniques aimed to make the typical shop assistants life a living hell, all for the meagre sum of £5.50 an hour.
In some cases bargain hunters will combine both elements of the shopping experience- when buying clothes it may be an idea to try on the garment at a high street store and then make the actual purchase online at a more competitive price - the same could be said for sampling electrical goods where factors like sound quality and durability may be an issue.
Give
this article a read to make your own mind up, but we won't be unplugging the mouse for the brolly just yet.......
Make sure you see in the New Year taking advantage of our great cashback rates in 2008.
