Matt Bullock
04 November 2011
A recent study from Virgin Media Business found retailers in London's West End are investing in ecommerce solutions to enhance both in-store and online experiences for consumers looking for holiday gifts.
The study showed 23 percent of Oxford Street flagship stores are offering in-store touchscreen terminals, enabling consumers to place and pick up their online orders in store, or simply make orders. Customers will also be able to try clothing on in-store and then purchase items online at the terminal. Niketown will provide extra attendants to take payments on mobile devices, as well, in an effort to decrease lines in the stores.
In addition, 61 percent of stores are investing in mcommerce and 46 have created mobile phone apps to enable shoppers to make purchases while away from their computers. This is a smart move, as Google and the British Retail Consortium discovered mobile searches for retail items have increased 168 percent compared to 2010, showing that shoppers are clearly moving to mcommerce research and purchasing.
"New high bandwidth connectivity options for U.K. retailers are enabling the use of more and more innovative technology solutions to improve the shoppers' experience and provide that essential USP to attract customers," said Phil Stewart, director of customer service at Virgin Media Business.
Subscribe