Bricks and mortar stores thrive online

Online shoppers are visiting traditional retailers in greater numbers

The latest monthly figures from industry body the Interactive Media in Retail Group offer strong encouragement for bricks and mortar retailers trying to break into the online market.

The IMRG-Hitwise Hot Shops List charts the 50 most popular online stores in the UK. November saw strong performances from stores such as HMV, up three places to 17, and Game, up 11 places to 21.

Asda also rose 11 places to 25, while Currys rose seven places to 11. But perhaps most significant was Marks & Spencer, which broke into the top five for the first time, moving up three places to fifth. The top four remained Amazon UK, Argos, Play.com and Tesco.com.

"Overall, bricks and mortar retailers which are now online are seeing growth, and some are seeing significant growth," said IMRG director of operations David Smith. "The situation for many is that their online store is probably going to be their biggest trading store."

Smith added that excelling at customer service is key if retailers want to break into the top 50. This should include multi-channel integration where relevant, flexible delivery options and easy feedback channels.