After a disappointing 2009, consumers are set to spend more money than ever on online gifts, according a report from the IMRG Capegemini e-Retail Sales Index. The index tracks sales leading up to the holiday season and makes predictions based on internet shopping trends.
With September internet sales of 4.8 billion pounds, a 24 percent increase over last September, industry insiders are predicting a record haul for e-commerce companies in the UK. The report from IMRG predicted a record 6.4 billion in online sales this Christmas, which would be a 1 billion pound increase over the last year.
The rise in online shopping has been the one bright spot in an otherwise cloudy sky for UK retailers. The sector as a whole has been slow to recover in the wake of the economic recession. In fact, most experts believe that any increase in holiday sales will be due to ecommerce web design
How popular is online shopping? In a recent survey, 71 percent of Britons said they plan to shop online this holiday season. Not to be outdone, an incredible 78 percent of Scots plan to purchase Christmas gifts on the internet.
Even going by pre-holiday levels, the 4.8 billion in online sales for September is exactly 79 pounds for every person in the UK! That's an awful lot of online shopping.