Second quarter sees increase in retail ecommerce
Sales for online retail companies in the U.S. experienced a significant increase in this year's second quarter, highlighting the advantages that the internet and other online resources provide for businesses. However, some retail industry experts believe that the ecommerce purchasing method will soon begin to decrease, as they forecast the rest of 2012 will not fare so well for online retailers.
First half of 2012 positive for online retail
Recent research from comScore found that for the second quarter, ecommerce retail sales saw a 15 percent increase, equaling a total of $43.15 billion, reports Internet Retailer. This is a significant rise from the same time last year, when online retail accounted for $37.5 billion worth of sales. The first quarter of 2012 had 16.6 percent year-over-year growth. While Q2's numbers are not as high, comScore executives say the increases are still significant. The most recent reported spending totals represent the 11th quarter that has consecutively produced positive year-over-year increases. It is also the seventh quarter in a row that has had growth in the double-digits, states the source.
Many sectors within retail saw an increase, with apparel and accessories, consumer electronics and greeting cards and gift, along with several other categories, experiencing 16 percent year-over-year growth, comScore found. One aspect that did see a decrease was the number of ecommerce sales that offered free shipping. In Q2, 42 percent of retail transactions online included free shipping, a drop from 2011's fourth quarter rate of 51.8 percent.
Despite the positive numbers, comScore expects that the rest of 2012 will see a drop in retail ecommerce. The high unemployment rate and slow economic recovery may prevent consumers from purchasing goods and services online.
Internet browsers play role in retail ecommerce
Believe it or not, the different internet browsers have an impact on retail ecommerce sales. CNBC reports that a Monetate study revealed that during the day (between typical work hours) in May 2012, Internet Explorer was used the most for ecommerce. However, at nighttime, it was Apple's Safari browser which led the way, beating both Internet Explorer and Google's Chrome.
The reason for this could be because Internet Explorer is the main browser available in most offices and places of business, so shoppers are forced to buy items through this method. However, at night, when consumers are home, Safari jumps ahead. The website states that online retailers need to focus on optimizing their websites to format correctly in Apple's browser.
