Online retailers should prepare for strikes, expert says
Thursday 22 October 2009
Businesses trading over the internet need to be prepared for the upcoming postal strikes, due to take place today (Thursday) and tomorrow, as well as the possibility that they could continue in the run up to Christmas.
This is the opinion of Graham Charlton who, writing on the Econsultancy blog, observed that companies should look for alternative solutions.
He warned that many customers may be discouraged from shopping on the web, as "delivery is absolutely key for online retailers" and consumers "need to be confident" about post arrivals as they could choose to spend offline if they think this might be disrupted.
Furthermore, Mr Charlton noted that the protests could cost the sector an estimated £220 million in lost sales, with 77 per cent of traders believing industrial action will discourage online retail.
This view was supported by Sharon Hardiman of the British Retail Consortium, who recently stated that brands must ensure their Christmas goods can reach buyers, as improvements in growth in the sector could be dependent on the walkouts.
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