Videotext in the High Street: The impact on retailer and consumer

Teletext and Viewdata, recently developed information technologies collectively known as Videotext, could have a significant effect on the retail sector over the next few years. It is estimated that by the middle of next year there will be one million households with TV sets capable of receiving teletext, so that several million people will become familiar with the technology. From the retailer's point of view, Viewdata would appear to be more useful since it is “transactional”. The retailer could use it as part of an internal administrative system, or a customer information system, or as an extension of shop based selling. Through viewdata, retailers can offer teleshopping services — so that consumers can order and pay for merchandise by terminal from their homes or places of work. The authors argue that the ‘push button age’, will not radically alter ‘shopping’, as we recognise it today, although it will begin to modify shopping patterns. Customers will continue to visit shops to examine merchandise so that they can have the opportunity to speak to specially trained sales staff. Teleshopping is set to complement existing shopping methods, by offering us all a wider range of shopping choice and ways by which orders can be placed.