The company said it sees online sales growing at a pace of 9.5% from 2013 to 2018, which would bring total online sales to US$414bn, or 11% of all retail sales.
According to Forrester, this year, mobile commerce, sales on phones or tablets, are likely to hit US$87bn.
"The Web keeps doing what it has always done well: it provides huge assortments of products, at comparable, often lower, prices than physical stores, with 24/7 access and often free shipping," said Research Analyst Sucharita Mulpuru.
Mulpuru said the figures include 30 retail categories, and that doesn't even include another US$28bn in additional mobile transactions on sites and apps like Uber and Domino's Pizza that aren't even in that mobile commerce number."
Mulpuru, in a blog post, said the growth in e-commerce does not mean that traditional brick-and-mortar retailing is dead.
"Yes, old store concepts located in B and C centres are absolutely in danger but new fresh concepts in A properties are doing quite well," she said.
"While there are dying shopping centres that need to be razed and reconstructed as office parks or farmland or whatever, there are malls, even indoor malls, which are doing absolutely fine," she added.
Source: AFP via I-Net Bridge
For more than two decades, I-Net Bridge has been one of South Africa’s preferred electronic providers of innovative solutions, data of the highest calibre, reliable platforms and excellent supporting systems. Our products include workstations, web applications and data feeds packaged with in-depth news and powerful analytical tools empowering clients to make meaningful decisions.
We pride ourselves on our wide variety of in-house skills, encompassing multiple platforms and applications. These skills enable us to not only function as a first class facility, but also design, implement and support all our client needs at a level that confirms I-Net Bridge a leader in its field.
Go to: http://www.inet.co.za
