Desktop users dwindle as tablet boom gathers pace
The volume of shoppers searching for goods via their desktops has plunged over the past year as people ditch the office chair for the sofa with their tablets, laptops and mobiles in hand.
Figures published by the British Retail Consortium and Google show that in the third quarter alone retail searches originating from desktop computers declined by a third when compared with the same period last year.
Falls were recorded across the board with double digit declines registered in clothing, health and beauty and electronics.
This traffic has migrated directly to tablets whose use surged 100 per cent in the three months to September, beating smartphones which registered a rise of just 58 per cent – helping to raise total search volume by 12 per cent.
BRC director general Helen Dickinson said: “We’re again seeing strong growth for searches on tablets and smartphones, showing that these are playing an increasingly integral role in the customer journey.”
The findings dovetail with retailer sentiment as they report booming online sales.