Zara and H+M to move into online retail

H+M's online store will cater for children and adults

High street fashion retailers Zara and H+M are to join the hoards of retailers that already have an online presence, according to an report in the Guardian.

Zara, the clothing chain owed by Inditex of Spain, will open its web site in the UK on 2 September and go live in France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Portugal at the same time.

In mid September, H&M will follow suit. Its range will include clothes for men, women and children as well as household furnishings.

This follows a report from e-commerce trading specialists eCommera stating that 42.6 per cent of Brits are now shopping online on a weekly basis, and that the average shopper now spends £71 per month on online goods. The latest IMRG Capgemini e-Retail Sales Index reported a 20 per cent rise in retail sales year on year.

Motivations for online shopping include price, convenience and choice. The eCommera report found that 60.4 per cent of respondents thought they were getting a better price than on the high street, 51 per cent were impressed by the convenience of the services and 39 per cent were persuaded by online choice.