Half of consumers will Christmas shop online

03/12/2007

Almost £2bn of Christmas goods will be purchased online this year, according to new figures from the British Retail Consortium (BRC).

The figure equates to almost 15% of the £12bn estimated UK spend over the festive season.
The report, complied by the BRC with market researchers Nielsen, found that overall online sales for 2007 are expected to reach almost £16bn, which is over a third up on 2006.

The growth has been put down to increased consumer confidence in the improvements in online security, combined with tempting online offers and faster broadband access.

As most of the customers surveyed said that they would be spending the same amount of time online this year as last year, it is apparent that the majority of growth will come from increased amounts of online shoppers.

Findings also suggest that each shopper will spend an average of £70 online, compared to £365 on the high street. BRC research has indicated that people shopping online are more likely to price search to find the cheapest offer – this has increased from 35% in 2006 to 63% this year.

“This Christmas the internet will be a more important channel than ever, as consumers take advantage of retailer’s improved online offers, increased security and cheaper broadband,” confirmed Kevin Hawkins, the BRC director general.

“There will be intense competition for online spending, with retailers vying for a share in a valuable channel, which is very much complementary to traditional methods of buying,” he added.