Strategic black hole for UK retailers unable to e

A new study into the top UK retailers and their electronic commerce readiness has uncovered a strategic black hole at board level.

While Dixons, WH Smith and Arcadia scored relatively well, the majority of the 20 retailers in the study seem ill-prepared for the online world, according to software consultancy Quidnunc.

Only four out of the 20 mention e-commerce, the Internet or digital strategy in their current annual reports. Seven don't have a Website at all and only three have sites that Quidnunc say can be genuinely regarded as ecommerce aware. Over half referred calls regarding their Website to the IT department, rather than to customer service.

Laurence Holt, chairman of Quidnunc, criticised the difference in attitude towards ecommerce between UK and US retailers, describing it as 'staggering'.

"When we started this study, we suspected the results might be poor," said Holt. "But we were shocked by just how few of this country's powerful retailers are ready for the digital economy. By neglecting the opportunities presented by the Internet, UK retailers are failing their shareholders, limiting their potential for growth and ignoring the advice of every analyst in the business."

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