High street retailers winning the online shopping battle
More shoppers than ever are abandoning the high street for the Internet this Christmas, with many of the fastest growing retailers online familiar high street names according to Hitwise.
During November, the top 100 high street retailer websites received 22% more UK Internet visits than the top 100 online only retailers. The most recent IMRG-Hitwise Hot Shops List, which ranked the top 50 UK e-retailers in October, included 30 high street names.
“With a few notable exceptions, high street retailers are pulling ahead of their online rivals when it comes to Internet shopping. Partly this is a result of their brand strength – consumers are obviously looking for cheaper prices in the current climate – but they are also turning to trusted brands that offer value for money in these uncertain times,” commented Robin Goad, Director of Research for Hitwise. “However, multi-channel retailers also provide more options for shoppers, and we expect that gap between the high street and online only retailers to widen during the key pre- and post-Christmas weeks as a result.”
