Consumer research into online shopping shows that if retailers are to thrive in today’s tightening retail environment, they will have to integrate their online offering into their physical business to remain relevant to the internet-savvy consumer.

The ‘clicks and mortar’ approach is advocated by Verdict Research in light of the current downturn in retail spend and the concurrent rise in online spending. The online market expanded by a third and was worth £14.9 billion last year, driven by a 5.9 per cent increase in internet users to 32 million. Unsurprisingly, convenience and value are cited most often in order to explain the popularity of online retailing, since people work increasingly long hours and disposable income is being sapped by rising utility and food bills.

Verdict analyst Malcolm Pinkerton says that in order for retailers to remain competitive, ‘online and in-store sales channels will have to blur into one, becoming fully integrated’. He notes that the number of physical stores will vary according to sector in future, with the decrease in music stores providing a salient contemporary example.

Innovative and creative use of the web will be the key to keeping consumers interested in brands and to assist in maintaining footfall to physical stores. As Pinkerton concludes, ‘the winners will be those who can harness the power of the new frontier as well as delivering the more traditional, physical retail model’.