There will be an explosion in the internet sale of commercial lines products to consumers next year, a leading consultancy has predicted.
Impact Plus general manager Nick Dumonde said there would be a "take-off in the online sale of commoditised commercial lines products".
He said the internet drive would come from insurers selling direct to consumers and from the bigger brokers setting up their own online sales portals.
"Companies that don't follow this [trend] will be hit rapidly."
Dumonde also warned that insurers "will have to play a balancing act" if they are not to "alienate" brokers along the way.
But he predicted that a number of insurers would set up new brands to sell commercial products online.
Dumonde also said this year had seen a "step change" in the sale of personal lines products online.
Analysis by Impact Plus found that 15% to 30% more people were buying over the internet.
"Last year people were browsing on the internet and then buying through a call centre. But now there is increased confidence in technology and broadband take up," said Dumonde.
He said these changes in buying patterns would force companies to examine what they need from call centres and the resource they put into them, as well as adapt their cross-selling techniques to the internet.
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