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Smart TV's to become next big thing for e-commerce

Monday, May 21, 2012 - 11:21 by Graham Miller

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A new study suggests that people in the UK could soon be shopping online in large numbers from the television sets in their living rooms.

While desktop and laptop computers got the e-commerce revolution going and smart phones introduced the idea that m-commerce could become a mainstream activity, a report published by Conlumino, suggests that interactive, 'smart' TVs could be the up and coming retail platform to watch.

It is estimated that 25 per cent of UK consumers will shop from their TV before the end of 2014, resulting in £750 million generated through sales.

The study was commissioned for auction site eBay and spokesperson, Angus McCarey, said that the market for safe shopping online was once more entering a transitional phase which would see consumer habits shift.

Interactive TV shopping will join e-commerce and m-commerce to make up a dynamic, fresh market, in which consumers will be able to get access to popular services across a multitude of platforms, with continuity between each.

Mr McCarey said that in the near future, it will be easy to watch a TV show and then actually use your TV to simultaneously order the DVD box set.

This kind of setup will of course still require the involvement of e-commerce companies like eBay and Amazon.

Insiders also see shopping via interactive TV sets as another way for consumers to compare prices and get more information about products and services.

A growing number of smart TV devices are joining the market, harnessing the broadband connections that are now widely available in consumers' homes. These TV sets can run applications and even support web browsing, without the need for a separate set top box or PC.

While some might be sceptical about the potential for online shopping to grow in the TV market, when people now use smart phones and tablets from their sofas for just this purpose, it seems that experts disagree.