US, UK followed closely by Brazil, China retailers in ecommerce revolution

International retail experts have noted that the U.K. and the United States are leading the globe in transitioning from bricks-and-mortar stores to ecommerce sites. Spurred by large, growing populations of online shoppers, these countries' retailers are raising the standards for online stores, mobile purchasing options and digital customer service.

However, experts at the Global Ecommerce 2012 BIG Show predicted China will eventually become the world's biggest ecommerce market, with an anticipated 369 million online users, followed by the 253 million U.S. users, 133 million users in India and 104 million users in Japan. Further, Forrester Research predicted that ecommerce sales will boost local economies at a compound annual growth rate of 22 percent in China, 18 percent in Brazil, 20 percent in Mexico and 53 percent in India. Therefore, U.S. and U.K. retailers should focus on keeping their online stores up to date and on the cutting edge of technological advancements to remain competitive in the global, digital marketplace, Power Retail reported.

In addition, new payment options are being launched in South Africa to help promote its local ecommerce industry. Online businesses and retailers in South Africa will soon be able to accept Ukash as an additional cash-based online payment.

Online stores in South Africa will now be able to securely accept and process 11 different payment methods, boosting the small business market and national economy by allowing more customers to purchase online using a variety of monetary sources.