"Due to competitive prices, easy product comparisons, fuel savings and other convenience factors that encourage consumers to shop online," says Karin von Abrams, senior analyst at eMarketer and author of the new report, UK B2C E-Commerce: Continued Growth in Tricky Times, "we expect that online sales will continue to rise steadily during the next four years."
eMarketer predicts that online sales will hit £94.2 billion ($169.6 billion) by 2012, although the annual growth rate will drop below 10%.
"In fact, the number of new buyers each year will hover at about 1.3 million through 2010 and decline gradually from 2011," says Ms. von Abrams. "But the most-important driver of sales growth will be increased spending by existing online buyers, as more goods and services become available and e-commerce becomes an essential activity for many."
