The peril of 'showrooming' By Alex Campbell BBC News

Showrooming is said to have exacerbated the decline of high-profile brands like Comet.

Showrooming is said to have exacerbated the decline of high-profile brands like Comet.

Showroomers are not doing anything illegal.

It leaves physical retailers in a quandary.

Victoria Barnsley, chief executive of HarperCollins, recently suggested the idea of charging a fee for browsing bookshops is "not that insane".

Charging people to browse has been suggested but it's a daft idea because you still want people to come in.

Staff analyse a customer's running gait, often on a treadmill and "diagnose" a pair of shoes that will avoid injury.

Those £100 shoes might be markedly cheaper online, but the would-be showroomer has to have a very high embarrassment threshold to walk out with a straight face.

This approach may seem more realistic than either charging a fee for advice or placing other obstacles in the way of showroomers.

There have been suggestions that resistance from retailers has included asking suppliers to subtly change the names of products to thwart internet searches.

There have been suggestions that resistance from retailers has included asking suppliers to subtly change the names of products to thwart internet searches.

Coaxing the customer into being willing to pay more is the way, says retail consultant Martin Philpott.

"By the time you've been there for an hour, their enthusiasm is so overwhelming that you really don't want to go elsewhere."

If web-based retailers lure so many showroomers, what will they do if there are no showrooms left?

Philip Beeching, 53, a web consultant and self-confessed showroomer, thinks online retailers may themselves turn to bricks and mortar - but not necessarily staff and checkouts.

Philip Beeching, 53, a web consultant and self-confessed showroomer, thinks online retailers may themselves turn to bricks and mortar - but not necessarily staff and checkouts.

In the 1970s, the High Street was a bustling place of traditional, albeit occasionally stodgy brands, untroubled by out-of-town retail parks, let alone the virtual shopping of Amazon and its internet competitors.

In the 1970s, the High Street was a bustling place of traditional, albeit occasionally stodgy brands, untroubled by out-of-town retail parks, let alone the virtual shopping of Amazon and its internet competitors.

A little bit of High Street nostalgia (January 2012)

Grimsey believes that even out-of-town retail parks will quickly become redundant, with 20 or 30 huge shopping malls dominating retail by making use of showrooms.

Grimsey believes that even out-of-town retail parks will quickly become redundant, with 20 or 30 huge shopping malls dominating retail by making use of showrooms.

A growing number of retailers allow customers to order online and check or collect their goods in store - avoiding the inevitable missed delivery cards and increasing the chances of them buying something else while they are there.

Some analysts insist the economic perils are exaggerated.