Oz e-commerce flagging

A new report indicates the Australian e-commerce market is dragging three years behind development in the US and UK and must expand, states Computerworld.

The Australian e-Commerce Market 2010 report was released by research firm Frost & Sullivan and found while online retail spending in Australia is expected to account for 5% of total retail sales in 2010, only 3% of this business is expected to be initiated in Australia.

The report said the lag in Australian activity comes despite stores like Big W, JB HiFi and Dick Smith releasing e-commerce platforms and is a result of insufficient internal support from senior management.

Retail software provider Celerant Technology recently enrolled in the Adobe Silver Partner Programme, writes Big News.

Membership in the partner programme is made eligible to companies that provide solution-based products that utilise an Adobe platform.

“In the development of our retail technology projects, we seek to use progressive software and applications that will allow us to efficiently program, implement and maintain different facets of Celerant software and services,” states Ian Goldman, Celerant president and CEO.

Discount code Web site www.MyVoucherCodes.co.uk conducted a flash poll that found 72% of Brits in favor of contactless technology in all supermarket stores, says Contactless News.

The poll, which drew 1 052 participants, was conducted in reaction to The Co-operative Food's recent decision to unveil a contactless payment pilot in 100 of its stores, as well as the site's recent online affiliation with several of the UK's largest supermarket chains.

Most of those polled in favor of contactless payment cited an “easier shopping experience” as the overriding reason.