Tenth of all UK retail spending now online

Some 10 per cent of all UK retail sales are now made online, research published today has revealed.

IMRG's May 2006 survey of over 3,900 consumers found that e-tailers are set to benefit as high street spending falls over the coming quarter.

The poll suggested that over half of respondents intend to reduce their high street spending in 2006, while 45 per cent are planning to increase their online spending.

The survey attributed a "huge importance" to the internet as a source of product information on goods that consumers intend to buy on the high street.

Every respondent said that they research home appliances online prior to purchasing them on the high street. For consumer electronics it was 94 per cent, furniture 52 per cent, garden and DIY goods 49 per cent and travel 44 per cent.

The survey also highlighted the impact of e-tailing on specific high street sectors. All respondents said that they research and then purchase music online, 81 per cent did so for books, 70 per cent for travel, 55 per cent for computer equipment and 45 per cent for videos and DVDs.

When asked how they were influenced by a retailer's stores or website, 51 per cent of respondents said that a retailer's website would influence whether they visited the company's high street store.

This was in contrast to the 42 per cent who said that the store would influence whether they visited the retailer's website.