Online shopping 'tablet revolution' to come

According to new research, the next phase of the e-tail boom will see consumers increasingly using the Ipad and tablet computers when shopping online. The research carried out by shopping search engine, Shopzilla, said retailers should therefore

be preparing for a ‘tablet revolution’, as online shopping via iPads and similar tablet devices is set to rocket in popularity, following the lead of the US. Although the iPad was only launched 12 months ago, Shopzilla’s figures revealed that 6% of shoppers already own a tablet and a further 20% are considering buying a device in the next year. The majority of owners said it was as easy to use for online purchases as a personal computer.

The research by Shopzilla was conducted with almost 5,000 online shoppers prior to the launch of new destination shopping site Beso.co.uk; it also revealed that nearly two thirds (61%) of iPad or tablet users said it was as easy to shop online with their hand-held device as it was with their personal computer and that the majority, 71%, had bought or would by online using their device.

Rachel Smith, business services senior director at Shopzilla, said: “Since their launch in April last year, an astonishing 25 million iPads have been sold worldwide, and with one in five online shoppers telling us they plan to buy a tablet in the next 12 months, this is clearly set to be a huge trend for UK shoppers." She continued, 'The year of mobile commerce, which has been predicted for some time, is finally here. With the explosion of the tablet market we are seeing a seismic change, and the opportunity will be for the retailers who are first to get it right.”