December 2012
Featured in this insight: Consumer goods & FMCG , Financial services, IT & telecommunications, Retail
Retail survey highlights consistent rise in e-commerce popularity: According to a survey by the Office for National Statistics, website sales now generate almost one in five pounds (19%) for UK firms.
The E-commerce and ICT Activity Report looked at industrial sector trends in Britain. In 2011, Internet sales turnover grossed at £483 billion in total, representing a consistent increase as online sales in 2010 reached £425 billion (18% of business revenue).
Sales to consumers via the web accounted for 5% of e-sales in 2011, with the rest of Internet profits coming from business to business sales.
The survey showed that wholesalers are maximising online trading the most, since this sector of retailers had the highest levels of e-commerce sales in 2011 of £181 billion.
Furthermore, the market research found that the UK remains in fifth position within the EU for proportion of turnover derived from e-commerce. Britain is only outstripped by Finland, Sweden, Hungary and the Czech Republic for online sales.
In addition, the study revealed that almost all businesses at 93% are now operating with high speed broadband – only 16% of the firms who took part in the survey still use dial-up or ISDN connections.
View more of our sector specific insights: Consumer goods & FMCG, Financial services, IT & telecommunications, Retail
