Christmas online shopping to hit 1.3 billion pounds

Shoppers looking for an online bargain are expected to spend more than 1.3 billion pounds across Christmas and Boxing Day this year, according to a forecast from Experian-IMRG, however neither is expected to eclipse the unprecedented level of sales on Black Friday.

The forecast predicts that shoppers will spend a frenetic 441,000 pounds a minute online on Christmas Day, upping the pace to 519,000 pounds a minute on Boxing Day. Totalling an estimated 636 million pounds over 142 million retail site visits on Christmas Day, up 25 percent compared to last year. While on Boxing Day shoppers will spend 748 million pounds during 167 million site visits, an increase of 29 percent year-on-year.

Chief information officer at IMRG Tina Spooner said: “Over recent years Boxing Day has typically been the busiest online shopping day of the year as consumers log on in search of a bargain from the comfort of their sofas.

“However, the festive sales started early this year with Black Friday discounts and promotions attracting a record number of online shoppers in the UK. Although we expect Boxing Day to be even bigger than last year, with online spend up around 40 percent year-on-year, it is unlikely to eclipse the unprecedented level of sales on Black Friday when e-retail sales reached a staggering 810 million pounds.”

Spooner added: “A recent survey of IMRG’s members found that 70 percent of e-retailers offered discounts and promotions over Black Friday/Cyber Monday weekend and we are likely to see a higher number launching sales over Christmas and Boxing Day, with some going into sale as soon as their high street shops close their doors on Christmas Eve.”

Giles Longhurst, general manager consumer insight at Experian Marketing Services, commented: “Traditionally, the Boxing Day sales have been the busiest day for retailers in the UK, but this year we expect them to come second to Black Friday. The ease of shopping online via connected devices also raises the prospect of a very large amount of shopping activity on Christmas Day itself.”