by jmezmedia
Jul 2008 up 8.8% on the same month in 2007 (or year before)
Aug 2008 up 14.2%
Sep 2008 up 16.2%
Oct 2008 up 12.5%
Nov 2008 up 13.5%
Dec 2008 up 19.6% (many more people chose to buy gifts online for the first time)
Jan 2009 up 16.4%
Feb 2009 up 12.7%
Mar 2009 up 14%
UK shoppers spent £26.5 billion online in the first six months of 2008, up 38% on the 19.2 billion for the same period last year. It looks like that figure is set to multiply for 2009. Predictions are that within five years between 30% to 50% of UK retail sales will be online. Where does that leave the high street - unless we act now!
Online retailers are showing greater resilience to the credit crunch and convenience is a major driving factor, plus the wealth of product information available on the web.
Our brief in making this site was to provide the means to enable Yate shop managers and owners to benefit from the surge in online activity whilst generating footfall in the town centre and encouraging the public to buy from local stores.
Some of you will already have corporate or personal e-commerce websites but this site will not affect those sites but will likely be easier to find via Google and Yahoo given the nature of build and the content contained within.
The internet cannot be ignored and, if used to advantage, could greatly enhance your retail business.
Shop and reserve is one large e-shop split into categories much like a department store. Products are listed in two ways – by searching individual retailers or by category.
For example, two fashion retailers may post five products each under the category ‘T-Shirts’. Joe Public has the option to search via retailer one or two, in which case they will see only the selection of t-shirts posted by that retailer.. or they may just search the t-shirts category, in which case they will see all ten t-shirts by both retailers. Either way, each product has the retailer name attached and when reserved, the correct retailer will automatically be notified of the reservation. Notifications are via email unless products are posted onto the site via ‘call to reserve’, which we know may suit those of you without computers or internet phones.
For those of you who already have e-commerce sites, as previously said, we don’t want to detract from any possible business you may gain from them so we have included links from this site to yours - that enable the public to view your site without leaving this one.
Nobody is going to tell you this site won’t take up any of your time – it will... but as already demonstrated, the internet is here to stay and your participation can only provide more business for you. Its likely that the new site is going to be publicised so the more content you can place on the site initially will encourage site visitors to re-visit again and again.
That said, if you decide to use the site positively, you will need to place your products on the site, along with descriptions and a picture of each item. (Unless you entirely replace your stock each month), once you’ve posted your products its more or less a question of regular maintenance and stock control which will be far less time consuming.
Essentially, the site can be used for stock control. We can even create a link between the site and your epos system if you have one.
Importantly, you should only post goods that you have in stock and the public can collect same day. Once you sell an item in store that you know is posted on the site - and its the only one in stock, take a moment to log on and ‘tick’ it as unavailable, stopping anyone online from reserving it – or simply change the notification to ‘call me’ so you can tell the customer when you expect new stock in.
Essentially, you need internet access but don’t worry. We are aware that many of you don’t have computers in-store, let alone internet access but most modern mobile phones are able to go online, receive email and have cameras attached. Alternatively, we can supply you with hand held devices that will enable you the access you require for between £12 - £25 a month.
We hope you decide to make good use of the facility we are providing. The management at Yate Shopping Centre have thought hard at ways we can assist our tenants and whether we like itr or not, the internet is taking an ever increasing slice of the uk retail cake. Lets make the internet work for Yate!