'More people discovering advantages of online shopping'

12:30 4th February 2009

More people in the UK are discovering the advantages of internet shopping, according to the British Retail Consortium (BRC).

Richard Dodd, spokesperson for the BRC, said that more people are taking up a broadband internet connection and learning about the advantages that the technology offers over high street and telephone purchase prices.

The past few years have seen a dramatic increase in internet shopping figures, with Shop Direct Group recently announcing that its internet sales have soared in just three years from representing just 18 per cent of its business to nearly 60 per cent.

Mr Dodd said: "The way in which customers buy goods is constantly evolving and we are clearly seeing less use of the phone and more use of online."

He added that online shopping enabled consumers to search more effectively for the best deals, while it was generally more convenient.

The proliferation of IT training and computer courses could explain why more people are turning to the internet.

Data from the IMRG Capgemini e-Retail Sales Index shows that internet spending in December 2008 was over 14 per cent higher than December 2007.