have to concentrate on the mass market as they only have the shelf space and time for
the best-selling products, he says. But with the Internet, consumers have unlimited
choice. “It is a bigger marketplace and consumers can find exactly the product they
want rather than just what is available in the shops,” he said. “You can get products
from anywhere in the world.”
According to an IMRG report in 2007, “the Internet does not recognise boundaries
and is creating a huge global shopping marketplace, worth ø250bn in 2007. More
than a billion people use the Internet, some 17 per cent of the world’s population, of
which almost a third live in Europe.” Today, almost 2 billion people use the Internet.
Nick Robertson, the chief executive of the online fashion retailer ASOS, said one of
the biggest factors in the growth of his business has been the proliferation of
broadband. “Due to broadband we are able to display our products in a more
favourable way, for example with the use of catwalks,” he said.
The other key factor is convenience, he said. “Girls don’t have the time to go to the
shops in their lunch hour. By shopping online they can get items delivered to their
place of work.”
