
The world of retail is changing – just look at services like Apple Pay or Barclays’ Bpay.
But it’s not just a matter of new disruptive technologies that are shaking things up, as Poundland has revealed a leopard can indeed change its spots. As of September 2015, the 25-year-old value retailer, which boasted a revenue of almost £1bn last year, has introduced an online shopping and delivery service. The move will complement the company’s existing tangible presence that comprises more than 550 stores. A quick walk down the street will see numerous people with their heads pointing towards the ground, gazing down at their smartphones and tablets – but what are they doing on them? According to research from the Internet Advertising Bureau UK (IAB) and UK Online Measurement Company (UKOM) with comScore, the average Brit is actively spending two hours and 51 minutes on the internet each day when at home, work and on the move – based on data from the first half of 2015. The two firms conducted the research to publish a “definitive figure” to clarify and remove confusion from conflicting sources. The study used a number of measurements to track the behaviour of 73,000 people and thousands of websites and apps. Interestingly, mobile devices account for the majority of time at 55 per cent. Breaking down into the specifics showed that 76 minutes are spent on PCs and laptops (45 per cent), 69 minutes on smartphones (40 per cent) and 26 minutes on tablets (15 per cent).
Read more on the connected consumer:
- Fitbit revenue lifts by 253 per cent to demonstrate value of wearable and health sectors
- Facebook’s Instant Articles: A response to consumers’ increasingly short attention spans
- AMBAM: The London-centric social network connecting small local brands to consumers
Social media is a big draw for Brits and accounted for 16.7 per cent of all internet time (ten minutes) – the equivalent of one in six minutes – up from 12 per cent in 2013.
In fact, spending time on Facebook, Twitter and the like has outpaced entertainment, which falls from 22.1 per cent to 12.4 per cent (seven minutes and 30 seconds) over the period. That in itself highlights that companies yet to get connected and reach out to their audiences on social networks are missing out on a big opportunity to get directly in front of customers. In August, Facebook achieved a new milestone for one billion users in a single day, which comes as the company offers continued support to SMEs. “On Monday [24 August], 1 in 7 people on Earth used Facebook to connect with their friends and family,” said Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook’s CEO and founder.Share this story