The UK will account for at least 40% of 2008 online
salesin Western Europeas internet
penetration continues to grow, a report by eMarketer has
found.
Last year was another boom year for the internet in the United
Kingdom. Almost 37 million people went online in an average
month.
This proportion will decline slightly as e-commerce becomes
better established elsewhere in the region, but the UK will still
represent the greatest single share of the European market in
2011.
"Britain has one of the most experienced and active online
populations in the world.
Confidence in e-commerce is high," says Karin von Abrams,
eMarketer senior analyst and author of the new report, UK Internet:
Users and Usage.
"Merchants have been careful to establish excellent security for
transactions and reliable delivery services," said von Abrams. "And
online prices are very competitive, particularly for books, travel
tickets and items bought at auction sites."
The average spend per buyer has been rising steadily, and
eMarketer estimates the
number will approach £2,000 in 2008.