UK shoppers spent £250 billion online in the last decade.

UK consumers spent a staggering £250 billion shopping online in the last decade. That's according to the IMRG Capgemini e-Retail Sales Index. The love affair with online retail therapy shows no signs of abating, with sales during 2010 alone expected to hit £56 billion.

That figure contrasts sharply with the numbers captured in 2001. During 2001 UK e-retail sales were just £1.8 billion with just six million Britons shopping online.

Internet shopping performance over the last decade tells the story of e-retail success in awe-inspiring numbers. It has grown by 5,772% since launch and continues to track the rise and rise of an industry that still continues to grow, despite the continued challenging economic conditions.

Peaks in sales of beers, wines and spirits are seen to track the success of the English football team in major tournaments. Sales of clothing online have exploded as rich media imagery has enabled fashionistas to pan, zoom and see items on the body via video clips. Home & Garden is the latest sector to be broken out and will provide insight against the background of the UK's troubled housing market.

IMRG Chief Executive James Roper said: "Britons are passionate about shopping, the combination of ease, convenience and 24/7 access is incredibly compelling.

The change in shopping habits over the last decade has been phenomenal. The internet has become the first destination point for many consumers looking to get the best deals, and retailers have stepped up to the mark by providing extremely compelling propositions. The challenge for the next 10 years will be for e-retailers to increase their share of the market even further and come up with new ways to extend brand loyalty."

So, what else does the next ten years hold for online retailers? Greater cross-border trading as the UK market continues to mature. With it will come challenges from European legislators, the need to meet different cultural tastes and payment preferences.

Mobile commerce is set to become the defining technological advancement of this decade. Improvements in handsets, browsers, content and data packages mean m-commerce's time has come.

Currently its predicted that the UK's online retail market will grow by 110% in the next decade, reaching £123 billion by 2020.

So.. if you have business in the UK or Europe where are the opportunities for you? Retailing still offers great opportunities in specific niche areas;

l  Online mid-priced jewellery still offers organic opportunities on the internet

l  Luxury goods will always sell because the wealthy will always want the best.

l  Services targeted at parents with children –growth area

l  Smartphones are growing in demand

l  Cut out the middlemen and sell direct

l  If you are a florist – sell on line and top up your slow sales at the shop.

Don't miss out on the market on internet sales in Europe is worth 106 billion euros. Will you get your piece of the action.

John Norton

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www.leaping-ahead.com

John is based in Europe and has helped small, medium and large businesses generate over 150 million euros in new business revenues.