Internationalization and 3D Secure Highlighted as Top Issues for U.K. Online Retailers, at the IDC Retail Insights eCommerce Conference

LONDON, May 11, 2012 - The need to improve online customer experience, ensure a robust international strategy, and create an effective omnichannel retail roadmap led the discussions at the recent IDC Retail Insights eCommerce Conference in London. The event brought together ecommerce professionals from U.K. retailers such as Tesco.com, Carphone Warehouse, Mothercare, Ted Baker London, Schuh, Debenhams, Astley Clarke, Marks & Spencer, Ocado, and John Lewis PLC.

Setting the tone for IDC's inaugural retail ecommerce conference, Christine Bardwell, EMEA research manager for IDC Retail Insights, shared the key trends in the ecommerce industry while highlighting IDC's ongoing research on retail online store, the online customer experience, omnichannel retailing, and mcommerce.

"It was a fantastic event, great to have professionals from retail and technology sectors in the same room," said Matt Jeffers, international development manager of Tesco.com. "I particularly liked the combination of networking opportunity where you can ask questions and formal sessions where you can learn about new trends in the ecommerce market."

A number of hot topics were discussed at the event:

• 3D secure was a big area of contention for delegates, with most of them trying to understand how to use it without experiencing a drop in conversion rates.

• Internationalization was a topic of interest with etailers sharing their stories on consumer expectations from around the world.

• Other topics of interest were Omnichannel retailing and the use of "online inside" — the use of digital technologies inside the store — as was mobile, driven by the need to better understand mobile best practices, how to develop an effective mobile strategy, and where to start the planning.

"The ecommerce conference was a great opportunity for online retailers in the U.K. to share and discuss their issues and successes with the industry as a whole," said Bardwell. "We're delighted with the positive feedback we have received and already look forward to our 2013 event."

For media inquiries, please contact:

Kanupriya

Senior Marketing Specialist, EMEA

IDC Retail Insights

Email: kanupriya@idc.com

About IDC Retail Insights

IDC Retail Insights assists retail businesses and IT leaders, as well as the suppliers that serve them, in making more effective technology decisions by providing accurate, timely, and insightful fact-based research and consulting services. Staffed by senior analysts with decades of industry experience, our global research analyzes and advises on business and technology issues facing the retail industry. International Data Corporation (IDC) is the premier global provider of market intelligence, advisory services, and events for the information technology market. IDC is a subsidiary of IDG, the world's leading technology, media, research, and events company. For more information, please visit www.idc-ri.com or email info@idc-ri.com. Visit the IDC Retail Insights Community at http://idc-insights-community.com/retail.

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