The demise in popularity of store cards should not be a concern for shoppers, an expert has said.

With the wide range of other shopping options available to them, such as online buying and stores which offer co-branded credit cards, no consumer should be sad to see the back of store cards, an expert has urged.

Figures from Datamonitor predict that due to the other shopping channels available to Brits, lending on store cards is set to carry on falling over the next four years.

And commenting, Pierre Williams said that "nobody should be shedding tears" over the fall in popularity of the buying option.

"Most charge hugely inflated rates and are arguably mis-sold in many cases," he said.

The figures showed that in 2009, demand for store cards fell by seven per cent, with a further fall of 4.3 per cent expected by 2014.

In the internet age, customers could find that buying online and using a courier service is more fitting with their busy lifestyle - and many retailers offer better discounts if you buy online rather than shop in the store.

Posted by Tom Sands

Article Added: 15/04/2010 10:54:42