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Social shopping sites prepare an attack on the high street

For all the talk of a consumer spending slowdown triggered by increased economic uncertainty, Britain’s online shopping market is set to continue booming over the next year.

For all the talk of a consumer spending slowdown triggered by increased economic uncertainty, Britain’s online shopping market is set to continue booming over the next year. More consumers than ever before are supplementing high street shopping with the internet, where they can read reviews, compare costs and buy products at significantly lower prices.

The last remaining areas where bricks and mortar had an advantage over the virtual shopping mall are increasingly coming under assault. Price comparison sites like Kelkoo and online review centres such as CNet have cashed in on the predominantly male gadget and technology market, but until now had relatively little success in the more profitable fashion and homeware sectors; consumers want to see these products in the flesh, not read reviews about them. Online shopping has also struggled to recreate the social aspect of a day out on the high street.

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