19 June 2007
The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) has called for more to be done to increase the options and availability for consumers using their broadband connections for shopping online.
In its recent document - Internet Shopping: An OFT report - the OFT recognised that the broadband revolution had led thousands of consumers and businesses to open the door for online shopping across a wide range of markets.
The market itself is estimated to be worth over 21.4 billion with over 20 million Brits making a purchase online in the past 12 months. Over a third of those shoppers spent over 1,000.
Now it wants to see the process taken a step further, chiefly by increasing the awareness over consumer rights, making the internet a safer environment for buying and selling, and by building consumer confidence in internet shopping.
The OFT's Chief Executive John Fingleton said that if online shopping is to "continue to flourish", the awareness and the protection of consumers' rights need to improve.
Mr Fingleton added: "The OFT is committed to working with businesses, consumer groups and other bodies to make sure that consumers can shop with confidence online."
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