July 20 2006

UK is now Europe's largest etail market at 9.8bn Euros

Easing ahead of Germany by a mere 80m Euros, the Mintel report shows that B2C e-commerce has "come of age". Glad that it's now official!

Mintel's press release about their March 2006 "Ecommerce - Europe" report shows what we alread knew: that the UK market is sizeable and well-developed.

"The business to consumer e-commerce sector has come of age and is gaining consumer acceptance as a 'normal' retail sales channel. Mintel is confident that on-line sales of goods will grow strongly over the next few years as this channel matures. But physical shops will not sit back and watch their trade drain away, they will respond by making the physical shopping experience more enjoyable and rewarding with much better interaction from informed and trained staff," comments Neil Mason, senior retail analyst at MINTEL.

Here's praying that the physical shopping experience will improve! With London temperatures hitting record summer highs and a brown, acrid smog hovering over the West End, the physical experience of 52degree heat in the tubes, pounding the hot pavements weighed down with luggage as you move from one airconditioned oasis to another... there's a lot to be improved!

Maybe the out of town malls will be doing well, with aircon, choice and logistic ease straight from the car parks?

Ian Jindal