Online shopping to reshape high street
(Reuters)
Updated: 2006-10-12 14:16
LONDON - Travel agents, mobile phone stores and banks may disappear from
the UK high street as consumers buy more products online and resort to shops
only for clothes and accessories, a report said on Thursday.
For holidays, MP3 players, bank loans and mobiles, the Internet is now the
main driver for Britain's shopping habits, according to market researcher
ACNielsen.
But the report found at least 50 percent of consumers still prefer to browse
shops for fashion, jewellery and watches.
It also investigated the Internet's role in shaping consumer choices along
with that of traditional advertising, word of mouth, window shopping, previous
experience and brand name.
Budget airlines and travel Web sites have helped boost the use of the
internet for choosing holidays in particular, with 60 percent of shoppers rating
it as the main influence.
"The High Street of the near future may well be devoid of the traditional
travel agent, mobile phone store and high street bank, reserved entirely for
fashion, jewellery, watches and other retailers selling merchandise that
consumers need to see, feel and try on before they buy," said ACNielsen Europe's
CEO and President Frank Martell.
The survey said online shopping's growing popularity over the past 10 years
had also weakened the power of conventional advertising.
While print and TV adverts were still important for fashion and cars,
internet advertising, brand loyalty and personal recommendations proved more
effective for other purchases.
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