'More Enjoyable' Internet Shopping Will Rise To £50 billion

British consumers are turning their backs on days out at the shops helping push online sales towards an estimated £50 billion over the next five years.

Only 4 per cent more people now say physical shopping is more enjoyable than internet shipping compared to a difference of 25 per cent last year, according to a survey of 10.000 shoppers by Verdict.

The advantage in 'enjoyment' previously held by physical retailers seems to be losing its advantage among both men and among 35 to 54 year olds, who are already finding online shopping more enjoyable.

'Shops need to work harder to give people reasons to enter their stores, through improved customer service, events and engaging shopping environments,' the Verdict report said.

Verdict estimates internet shopping will rise by almost 50 per cent from a forecast £34 billion this year. It expects retail sales to increase 12 per cent this year as orders from more accessible and cheaper tablets surged over the past two years, overtaking those from smartphones.

The proportion of online shopping bought on tablets is 11.7 per cent compared to 6 per cent on smartphones.

The survey also illustrates how regularly people interact with the online world, including the rise of 'second screening' - browsing while watching TV - with 67 per cent saying they had shopped from their living room.

'Together with the ability to browse on smartphones wherever you are, and social media, has made online shopping a much more immersive and interactive experience than it was only a few years ago, when more shoppers tended to be restricted to desktops typically located away from the living room,' Verdict said.

However, the study also dismisses the 'showrooming myth' that smartphone users are shopping at rival internet sites while in store, said Verdict lead analyst Patrick O'Brien. He said only 2 per cent of online shoppers have bought while at a retail premises compared to 97 per cent at home and 15 per cent at work.

'Rather than making consumers agnostic about where they make their purchases, smartphones and tablets are used in stores mainly to check prices and product details,' said O'Brien.

That directly contradicts research published earlier this week from internet consultancy Omnico from more than 1,300 shoppers that suggested 10 per cent have indulged in showrooming.

'Shopping has always been a form of entertainment and this is becoming more apparent as the technology that supports online shopping improves and develops,' said Shingo Murakami, managing director of Rakuten’s Play.com, commenting on Verdict's research.

'For many years retailers have struggled to bring the personalised and engaging experience of the bricks-and-mortar shop on to their website, but the balance is now shifting with the digital experience rivalling and sometimes even surpassing the in-store. With Christmas on the horizon, retailers will need to go the extra mile to ensure that the Christmas shopping list doesn’t become a chore - providing a fun and fulfilling experience will be the key to encouraging customers to return in 2014,' he said.