21 January 2008, 21:09 PM
  • With high street stores facing a further decline of up to 15% in the coming five years, making waves on the internet could be a good way to compete with the big boys.

A new report produced by the University of Hertfordshire Business School, on behalf of guided selling solutionis provider Retec Digital shows that online is likely to increase further in the next few years, so retailers wanting to survive need to give internet sales some serious thought,

The report urges bricks-and-mortar shops to learn from the leaps and bounds made by e-tailers over the past two years.Instant access to accurate product information tailored to the customer’s needs and stock availability were highlighted as examples of where the high street falls down.

Report co-author Sofie Mallick, lead academic at the University of Hertfordshire Business School, said, “The birth of e-tailing has dramatically evolved consumer needs and expectations in all areas of the retail environment.”

This research comes hot of the heels of reports of record internet sales over the Christmas period, with transactions up by 50% on 2005.