Mix of offline and online retail 'could bring success'

11:25 15th January 2010

New research has suggested that companies in Lancashire may benefit from combining both an offline and an online retail presence.

According to the study from Allen & Gerritsen, while eight out of ten people went to a retail store over the Christmas period, over half did so with a key intention of getting ideas for gifts.

It was also revealed that 82 per cent of online retail sites deliver high customer experiences, which suggests that many people may decide on purchases in-store before buying via the internet.

Andrew Graff, chief executive officer of Allen & Gerritsen, said: "Consumers still want the human touch when shopping, but this is only part of the user experience.

"The seamless integration of digital, combined with retail stores and catalogues deepen retailers' relationships with consumers and help close transactions."

Earlier this week, research by the British Retail Consortium revealed that online retail sales in December were up 26.5 per cent from 12 months earlier.

In news which may interest firms planning to embrace online retail, the body suggested that while web-based activity currently accounts for four per cent of overall sales, the figure is still rising.

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