Interactive Media in Retail Group (IMRG), the UK’s industry association for e-retailing, has reported the UK is now Europe’s leading e-retail economy. UK online sales in 2011 have been estimated at £68.2 million.

IMRG also reported that despite an uncertain global economic outlook, online shopping continues on an upward trend, currently up 16% from last year. IMRG reports that the UK is now home to an estimated 37 million online shoppers. While the results may come as a surprise to online shopping sceptics, the figures are exactly what online retailers expected, as confirmed by the UK’s newest online furniture retailer, Milan Direct. Milan Direct managing director, Dean Ramler explained how his company has continued to grow in line with the growth and popularity of online shopping.

“When we began our business, people weren’t shy in holding back their opinions of online shopping. So called ‘experts’ continually told us that buying furniture online was something that would never be embraced. We chose to ignore the advice, as we truly believed in the appeal of online shopping.

“Online shopping is easy, quick and extremely competitive and when online retailers are offering full money back guarantees on high quality affordable products it was our firm belief that it was going to be something more and more people would try and return to.

“And luckily our instincts have been proven correct, as confirmed by the shopping trends recently reported in the UK. Mr Ramler explained many shoppers are increasingly favouring online shopping due to its clear benefits of ease of use, competiveness and affordability. “Online shopping is quick, fast, simple and most importantly – cheap. With online stores shoppers can compare products quickly, finding the best deals in around the same time it would take most people to travel to just one bricks and mortar store. Trading solely online, Milan Direct specialises in the sale of reproduction furniture. A virtual store provides the company with the perfect means of selling quality furniture at affordable prices, according to Mr Ramler.

“Whether you’re shopping for shaggy rugs, normal rugs, office furniture or lounge settings, there’s a stylish Milan Direct reproduction designer piece to match. Milan Direct is on a mission to make designer living a reality for everyone in the UK.”

“With just a few clicks of the mouse your new shag rug can be on it’s way to your home in just a matter of hours, leaving you the time to focus on all those things you’d rather be doing” said Mr Ramler. Milan Direct offers fast delivery across the UK and includes a 7-day money back guarantee on all purchases.

Visit Milan Direct website to see the full range of furniture products.

Bill Oddie’s Bird Food Recipes and Britain’s favourite bird food chef Bill Oddie, embarked on their first national TV, radio, poster, PR and digital marketing campaign in 2011 as part of a dynamic and comprehensive investment programme for this fast-growing, high profile, bird food brand which is now listed by ASDA, Wilkinson, Sainsbury’s and Waitrose.

The TV advert was specifically timed to air throughout the summer months alongside many other marketing and advertising activities and social media has been used to connect and engage with bird food and bird feeding enthusiasts on facebook, twitter, viral blogs and YouTube. Throughout autumn, Bill Oddie answered – via video – some of the most frequently asked bird feeding questions asked by @billsbirdfood twitter followers using the #AskBillOddie tag – which has now generated over 12,000 viewings on Bill’s very own bird food YouTube youtube.com/billoddiesbirdfood

The TV campaign, with its emphasis on quality, was focused on Bill Oddie’s extensive expertise and knowledge, which has been used to create perfect bird food recipes. The recipes use only the finest natural ingredients or, as Bill puts it, “Well, yes, alright, perhaps I’m not exactly a chef but, birds know what’s good for them … and so do I!” “Our research shows that there is some confusion amongst consumers about where to find bird food in supermarkets and high street retailers, but our TV advert helped to clarify this by directing people specifically to the Pet Aisle.”

The campaign also coincided with a new pack design, colour-coded for easy on-shelf recognition. There are clear points of difference between each recipe to make it easier for new starters to shop the category, and also encourage link-selling across the range.

“There has never been such a wide choice of bird foods across the UK. However, customers can find too much choice confusing, which can often result in no purchase being made. We want to attract new starters, so we have made it easier for them to select the right food for the right birds.You shouldn’t have to be an Ornithologist to feed the birds and it should always be fun!” Editor’s Notes:

1. Current major stockists include Wilkinson, Asda, Sainsbury’s and Waitrose 2. Bill was a long-standing customer of the highly-regarded Lincolnshire mail order bird food company, Haith’s (www.haiths.com) They were the obvious partner for him to collaborate with on a variety of recipes, ensuring that every product comes up to his exacting standards.
3. Haith’s, manufacturers of trusted bird food, were founded in 1937 in Grimsby, Lincolnshire, and it is still run by the Haith family. In 2012 they celebrate their 75th Anniversary.

LINKS:

Website: http://www.billoddiesbirdfood.co.uk
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/billoddiesbirdfood
Blog: http://www.billoddiesbirdfood.wordpress.com
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/#!/billsbirdfood @billsbirdfood

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Billsbirdfood

For further information, photographs and interview requests please contact: Susan Richmond, Kenyon Communications, Tel: 01673 828764 Mob: 07708 690707 Email: sue@kenyon-communications.com

Cliff Richard’s 1988 hit Mistletoe and Wine is the Christmas song nearly half of shoppers (46.7%) would like to never hear again, according to a new survey.

Wizzard’s 1974 hit I Wish It Could Be Christmas Every Day is the second most unpopular song (16.7%) followed by Band Aid’s Do They Know It’s Christmas? (11.7%), Wham’s Last Christmas (8.3%), Slade’s Merry Christmas Everyone (8.3%) and Brenda Lee’s Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree (8.3%).

More than six out of ten (62.9%) of shoppers find long queues the most annoying part of Christmas shopping and 12.9% of respondents say they are most annoyed by stores putting Christmas displays up too early and 11.3% of people hate not being able to find advertised products.

2011 is set to be a cut price Christmas for many shoppers with nearly half (48.6%) of people saying they’ve cut down on what they spend on relatives this Christmas – and nearly one in five (18.9%) say they don’t plan to splash out as much as usual on their partner. Children will fare better, with just 13.5% of parents saying they’ve cut back spending on their kids and 18.9% of people say they plan to cut back on what they spend on Christmas dinner and drinks.

The survey, by mystery shopping and performance improvement expert Douglas Stafford, also revealed that 63.9% of shoppers are annoyed by hearing Christmas music playing in stores too early with more than nine out of ten people (93.6%) saying shops shouldn’t put festive songs on until December.

More than one in three shoppers (35.5%) say that hearing Christmas songs in shops makes them feel happy and more likely to continue shopping but 16.1% say they find the music irritating and are likely to be put off. 48.4% say they don’t mind the music or don’t notice it.

“The results of this survey make it very clear that high street retailers need to do everything they can to attract and keep customers – and that includes concentrating on keeping queues to a minimum,” says Nigel Cook, Douglas Stafford Chief Executive. ”

“We know that people are likely to be spending less this year so it is vital that high street retailers do everything they can to make the customer experience better and if they don’t then more people will go elsewhere, including online, to buy. And it seems that improving customer experience might even extend to banning Mistletoe and Wine from stores.”

About Douglas Stafford

Portsmouth-based Douglas Stafford has been working with large blue chip companies across a broad range of consumer markets since 1989, delivering performance improvement programmes which help them measure, analyse, understand and improve their customers’ experiences. These are achieved through highly cost-effective mystery shopping and customer surveys, and are supported by industry-leading training programmes and processes that are proven to improve standards of customer service. Among its clients are some of Britain’s leading brands including Fitness First, Taylor Wimpey, Kwik Fit and Audi UK. www.douglasstafford.com

ENDS

For further information please contact:
info@nowpr.co.uk

RC Helicopters are very popular especially at this time of year. The hobby has grown vastly and is continuing to grow. At Swift RC we understand that there is a huge selection of RC Helicopters to choose from and therefore deciding on which helicopter is perfect for a beginner/newbie can be a very daunting experience. So Swift RC offers a few tips: 1. Choose an RC Helicopter which fits your budget, start off with a small Radio Control Helicopter (these are more affordable) such as the Syma RC products or the Align Trex 100 Micro RC Helicopter. 2. Purchase a RTF (Ready To Fly) RC Helicopter and therefore the RC Model is already built for your use and ready to fly out of the box. 3. Consider buying an RC Helicopter simulator system, there are many commercial products to choose from, and this will provide you with a realistic flight experience. 4. Decide on whether an Electric or Nitro Model is better suited for your needs; Electric Radio Control Helicopters are much more affordable than Nitro and are less complex to deal with. Swift RC has a range of Electric RC Helicopters available at www.swiftrc.co.uk. 5. Choosing an RC Helicopter with a fixed pitch will be an advantage, as the RC Heli will not need to be adjusted (in pitch terms) before flight and they offer more stability. The above list is just some tips; there is much more help available via forums and blogs and at www.swiftrc.co.uk , Swift RC Team are more than happy to assist you with purchasing your first RC Helicopter, so give us a call or drop us an email. Once you have chosen the correct RC Helicopter; not only will it be so rewarding but the flight experience is very relaxing and mastering the art of becoming a pilot of RC helicopters is a challenge that many would love to tackle.

Visit www.swiftrc.co.uk today to view our selection of RC Helicopters and if you need any assistance please do not hesitate to contact us or tweet us @SwiftRC, we will respond to you right away.

Worcester, UK – 29 November 2011 – Worcester-based address auto-fill software company Postcode Anywhere releases the final results of its 2011 ecommerce study today.

The survey, which polled 1,000 UK consumers on their experiences with online shopping, investigates opinions on issues ranging from website usability to postal delivery. An infographic of the key findings is now available to download on the company website at www.postcodeanywhere.co.uk/online-shopping-2011.aspx.

Postcode Anywhere has also released the raw data in full, which includes results cross-referenced with age, gender, location, earnings and education level.

Key findings:

• Speedy checkout
The majority of consumers (76%) rate a speedy checkout as important or very important to their overall shopping experience.
• Cart abandonment
As the top reasons given for abandoning an online purchase, overlong website forms and security concerns were the two most common gripes for consumers.
• Men and women
Female shoppers rely more on online product reviews than men when making decisions. 36% more women than men rated customer reviews as “very important” when shopping online.
• Timed deliveries
Almost two thirds of consumers (64.3%) want timed delivery slots when ordering online.
• Click-and-collect
Over half of consumers (51.9%) value mixed-mode buying, saying an option to collect goods in-store is important.
• Christmas delivery
Almost one in ten people (9.3%) said they had been put off shopping online this Christmas because of previous problems with delivery.

Postcode Anywhere’s managing director Guy Mucklow said: “Ecommerce revenues increase year-on-year. In late 2011, one pound in every ten is now spent online, and over 90% of retail sales growth comes from ecommerce. But the industry mustn’t be complacent. As this report shows, continuous improvements must still be made along the whole buying process – from product research, through payment processes, down to the actual delivery of goods. “We would urge online businesses to take the time to make sure that small things aren’t damaging their performance. The importance of a clean, quick and professional-looking website cannot be underestimated.

“The survey also highlighted just how important the delivery process is. An overwhelming two-thirds of consumers rate timed deliveries as important to their overall shopping experience, which shows the buying process doesn’t finish when the customer leaves your site: fulfilment needs to be scrutinised too.

“For an online business to succeed there needs to be a clear focus on the whole customer journey. “However you want to interpret the results, we feel that while shoppers are generally more confident than ever buying online, the ecommerce industry mustn’t take this for granted.”

The survey results in full are available at the Postcode Anywhere website: www.postcodeanywhere.co.uk/online-shopping-2011.aspx.

ENDS

Setting up and running a small business in these challenging economic times can seem an almost crazy idea. With customers not spending and banks not willing to lend, times are really tough. This is why so many entrepreneurs have decided to set up an online business. The costs of setup can be so much lower than a traditional bricks and mortar business. Even with the lower start up costs, setting up a business online and making it successful is far from easy. Below we lay out some essential advice for all you budding dot com entrepreneurs whether you are just about to start or already have your website up and running.

1) Test your business model on eBay. Many online businesses have started on eBay as the setup costs are very low and there is a ready supply of customers. You can start with just their standard listing or for a few pounds more you can open an eBay shop.

2) Keep a detailed marketing data base of your customers and what they have purchased, this will end up being possibly the most valuable asset of your business. Use this to build an ongoing relationship with your customers. Customers may not always remember where they got that great deal last time so remind them regularly. A good example of this is – if a customer has bought a printer from you, email them with discount codes or any special offers you have on ink cartridges that you have.

3) Up selling – Offering a customer either an upgrade or an additional related item. This can take many forms, from a HDMI cable sold with a TV to an upgrade in delivery speed. Many customers will happily pay a premium for a next day parcel delivery or an upgraded product. This can also be used to show your expertise in the market. So if you sell TVs, show the customer the extra cost to the model with extra features.

4) Marketing – as in traditional retail there is no point in having a brilliant well laid out shop with great product and prices if no customers come in to see them. This is the same with your website; if no one visits you can’t make any sales. ( I will go in to greater detail on the various types of marketing in later posts).

5) Keep control of your costs. Remember the old saying, every penny saved is a penny earned. One way you can do this is to make sure you are not over paying for your shipping. Many websites offer discounted or free shipping to their customers so saving money in this area is a real winner. Parcel2ship.co.uk offer UK, European and worldwide parcel delivery courier services from premium courier companies like DHL, Parcelforce and City Link at discounts of up to 60% of their tariff prices.

For more information and advice on setting up and running an online business visit our blog http://blog.parcel2ship.co.uk/ or sign up for our free news later at www.Parcel2ship.co.uk

Christmas 2011 is nearly upon us and the retailers are already starting to compete for our Christmas money! The global financial situation has, on the whole, been less than desirable for most people and therefore this year could be the ‘year of dollar optimisation’ i.e. the ‘year of the Discount ‘! What better way to get the most out of your dollar than to get the same product but for a lot less? This could mean two things for you: firstly, you spend less money than you had planned this Christmas OR secondly, it could mean that you spend the same but get something extra special for your loved ones. Whichever one of these camps you sit within, it is an opportunity not to be scoffed at – a genuine deal! The hardest, yet most important, part of any Christmas Gift is the choosing; get this right and smiles all round on Christmas morning! Choosing something unique and personal far outweighs spending huge amounts on a present, the ‘cheapest’ gifts can often be the ‘best’. How about giving the opportunity of an experience rather than a ‘physical’ gift? This has been said thousands of times before but… memories last a lifetime, what other gift does that? If you need to get a Christmas gift idea for someone in particular, there are plenty of ‘top 10′ lists to get inspiration from. Guys, if you need a special ‘gift for her’ check out the list and stop panicking (if you had even got to that stage)! Or if you are looking for present ideas for a gift for him (because he’s impossible to buy for!) you know where to go! Retailers want and during these hard times, often need your custom; therefore many are willing to decrease their margin which, in simple terms, means money off! It’s not just the online retailers that offer Coupon codes to get money off your purchases, ‘bricks and mortar’ companies are just as active in attracting you to purchase whatever it may be they have to offer. Smart customers save, simple. So go on, make Christmas 2011 one to remember…for the right reasons and sort them Christmas presents out today!

Vouchercodes.com is fast becoming the UK’s most popular voucher site. As the holiday season approaches everyone is looking for ways to stretch their money further and Vouchercodes.com has cornered a niche in the market by creating the most comprehensive voucher site currently available.

The popularity of internet shopping continues to grow and grow. That’s because shopping on the internet offers all of the benefits of the High Street with none of the drawbacks. Due to the popularity of shopping on the net most online stores are looking for ways to attract new customers and retain a loyal customer base and offering discounts with voucher codes is a great way to do just that.

Many online stores now offer deals on their sites in this way so the people at Vouchercodes.com have created an amazing site which is a one stop shop for all your voucher codes. Their comprehensive and easy to navigate site contains offers for almost anything you can think of.

The site includes offers from major stores like Very.com, Tesco, ASDA, Argos and Littlewoods, meaning that the thousands of customers using the site can easily find deals and discounts on all their Christmas gifts.

But vouchercodes.com doesn’t stop there. The site also includes a huge array of deals and discounts on events, exhibitions, activities and restaurants. You can even find great deals on all those annoying things that we all hate paying through the nose for, like groceries and airport parking.

This incredible voucher site is becoming one of the most used in the UK because the people at vouchercodes.com understand exactly what customers want. You can easily find the most popular vouchers in their ‘what’s hot’ section, you can easily find all the latest deals, get exclusive offers that are only available through Vouchercodes.com and see all the latest bargains in their ‘just added’ section. Or you can simply search for products by type or by individual store.

Whatever you are buying online, it’s always worthwhile taking a look at vouchercodes.com to see what amazing deals you can get this Christmas.

You can always make any event special with the help of personalised gifts UK. These wonderful gifts will definitely make any person feel more special. These gift ideas are appreciated by several people. You can give them to your relatives, friends or your partner. The most common ways of giving personalised gifts UK is to provide them with a personal touch. This includes writing the name of the recipient or any special message. An important thing about these gifts is that they can be perfect for any kind of occasion. They are also suitable for people of all age groups. Through such personalised gifts UK you will also be able to show your own thoughts as well as creativity. Such products are now available in various toy stores UK. When you give the personalised gifts UK to someone, he or she will understand that you took time to make the gift a special one. You can provide a man with personalised gifts such as cufflinks, wallet, watch, pen, money clip and many other items. These items can be stylish as well as elegant. You do not have to go for products that are highly expensive while selecting the personalised gifts UK. These gifts are excellent as well as functional. Such gifts will always act as lasting reminders about the giver. You will also have a wide range of options if you are looking for personalised gifts UK for women. You can choose from a huge collection of jewellery. You can select any item according to the personality of the receiver. Personalised jewellery will always help you to impress the lady you love. Apart from this, you can also go for personalised gifts UK such as purse or scarf. You will find items that are appropriate for different occasions. When it comes to the kids, there are lots of toy stores UK that will provide you with some wonderful personalised gifts. You can present these products to them on occasions such as Christmas and birthdays. One of the most popular personalised gifts UK for children is the money boxes. Different types of money boxes can be found in the toy stores UK. You can also give personalised bedding items to the little ones. These include bed sheets, pillow cases and duvet covers personalised with graphics and texts. Any kid will love to get the personalised gifts UK. The gifts can have the name of the child or their date of birth engraved on them. You can also personalise the gifts with their favourite cartoon characters or superheroes. There is an endless list of the personalised gifts UK that can be given to everyone regardless of their gender or age. Thus, you will always find one for yourself. For more information please visit:-

http://www.theretailshop.co.uk/product/toys

http://www.theretailshop.co.uk/product/gifts

Contact Us:

1a Arcade House, Finchley Road,
London,
NW11 7TL
United Kingdom
020 8574 5043

Speedo, the world’s leading swim brand, announces the launch of its new consumer facing ‘Speedo Roadshow’, a specially tailored 11.5m ‘transformer’ vehicle designed to present Speedo products and the brand to consumers in an innovative way. The Speedo Roadshow will highlight that in terms of products and brand, Speedo has more to offer above and beyond the competitive heritage for which Speedo is known. This exciting and engaging platform will aid Speedo’s plan to ‘Inspire People to Swim’ by educating consumers about the benefits of swimming.

The Speedo Roadshow is starting a 12 month journey touring the UK and Europe, visiting key retail outlets, retailer HQs and top consumer events and festivals. The tour will enable the brand to showcase a greater depth of colours, patterns and contemporary styling throughout swim fitness, cup sized body shaping speedosculpture, and learn to swim collections. Speedo advisers will be on hand throughout the Speedo Roadshow tour, sharing expert knowledge and advising consumers on the best Speedo products to suit their activities, shape, lifestyle and style preferences. As part of the tour we are challenging the public to take on 8 x Olympic gold medallist Michael Phelps in the virtual world of the new ‘Push The Limit’ Xbox Kinect game.

David Robinson, Speedo Brand President commented “Swimming is a fantastic health and fitness activity enjoyed by millions of people every day. The Speedo Roadshow is designed to present the full breadth of the Speedo range, and give advice to anybody looking to find the right swimwear. We hope it will inspire many more people to swim and enjoy this fabulous activity”. A full Speedo Roadshow schedule will be announced at a later date, but events at Manchester, Sheffield, London and Brighton are already planned for 2011.

For more information visit www.speedo.co.uk

ENDS For further information please contact:

Rae Young t. 0207 940 7176 e. rae@brandnation.co.uk

AboutSpeedo
The world’s leading swim brand, Speedo is passionate about life in and around the water, creating revolutionary new technologies, designs and innovations. Supporting swimming from grass-roots through to elite level, including the phenomenal Michael Phelps, in the 1920s Speedo made history with the Racerback: the world’s first non-wool suit. In 2008 Speedo redefined swimwear again with Fastskin LZR RACER – the fastest and most technologically advanced swimsuit ever created. Speedo is owned by Speedo Holdings B.V and distributed in over 170 countries around the world; to find out more visit: speedo.co.uk. SPEEDO, the ARROW device, FASTSKIN, LZR PULSE, SPEEDO ENDURANCE, FLIPTURNS,
FASTSKINFSII, SPEEDO BIOFUSE, SWYM, SPEEDO SCULPTURE, AQUABEAT and LZR RACER are registered trademarks of Speedo Holdings B.V. The LZR RACER suit has worldwide design rights and patents pending.