IGD reveals latest e-commerce statistics

22 October 2012 - 15:28

Analysts at IGD have estimated that the market for online grocery shopping will increase by 98 per cent between now and 2017, at which point, it will be valued at 11.1 billion annually in the UK.

In 2012 about 3.4 per cent of the total grocery market is made up of customers buying items via safe shopping online, although the sector is predicted to see major growth over the next five years.

In the ShopperVista report from IGD released this month, a group of UK consumers were questioned about how e-commerce tools are impacting the ways they carry out their retail activities.

Fifty eight per cent of respondents said that they believed that they were saving cash by using technology, while fifty four per cent identified online grocery shopping as being a good way to save time.

Forty four per cent said that they were committed to buying groceries via safe shopping online and would do so throughout the following decade.

Meanwhile, forty six per cent revealed that they might be more inclined to use online delivery services to get their groceries, if they received personalised email ads targeting their specific needs.

IGD spokesperson, Joanne Denney-Finch, said that despite the relatively small market share of online grocery shopping, this sector is expanding at a rapid rate.

She said that retailers operating in this area need to consider their e-commerce sites as vitally important to their continued success.

She argued that it would be necessary for online grocery outlets to not only allow customers to buy products, but also offer them the opportunity to access other parallel services, such as user reviews and online helpdesks.

Denney-Finch also said that the impending arrival of 4G mobile coverage in the UK, will make shopping from a smartphone or tablet even more appealing.