Realising-consumer-rights

Figure 4: The online consumer
• Online services: 87 per cent of users buy online, 61 per cent bank
online, 57 per cent pay bills, 33 per cent order groceries online. 12 per
cent of users bought something that was misrepresented, up 9 per
cent from 2003, but possibly due to overall increase in e-commerce.
6 per cent had credit card details stolen online. 16
• Product and price information: 85 per cent of users use the internet
to compare products and prices. 17
• Average weekly internet retail sales grew around 10 per cent in the
year to May 2013, from £528 million to £582 million. 18
• Complaints: When people have a problem with product or service,
52 per cent went to the internet or a smartphone first (47 per cent
internet/5 per cent smartphone). 33 per cent used the telephone. 19
We are already seeing clear signs of where ubiquitous, low cost
computing power will go next as 3D printers hit the high street and the
‘internet of things’ enables a multitude of connected, smart devices to
communicate with each other and, in some instances, with third parties,
hopefully in the service of consumers. Imagine a medical cabinet that can
automatically reorder essential drugs based on usage, or a fridge that can
track its contents and generate a shopping list as supplies run low and
order replenishments for you. It may sound farfetched now, but if you’ve
ever run using an app like Nike’s fuelband, which captures and analyses
your running history then you are already a living, breathing and possibly
slightly sweaty part of the internet of things. Imagine also some of the
issues and concerns this presents in relation to personal data and privacy.
These are considered further in Part 3.
Although devices and internet access are relatively inexpensive, we must
acknowledge that a significant proportion of UK consumers remain on
the wrong side of the digital divide. 15 per cent of the UK population
have never been online, including high numbers of those aged over 75,
disabled adults and those on low incomes. 20
16
Oxford Internet Survey 2013 Report, Cultures of the Internet: The Internet in Britain
17
Ibid
18
http://bit.ly/1gcml2o
19
Oxford Internet Survey 2013 Report, Cultures of the Internet: The Internet in Britain
20
Office for National Statistics Internet Access Quarterly, February 2013
http://bit.ly/1dersyp
Consumer Futures 14