Half of Brits buying Xmas gifts online

Over half of British consumers are carrying out their Christmas shopping online, according to Webcredible.

Monday, 22 December 2008

Over 1,000 consumers were polled by the web experience firm between September and December, with 52 per cent stating that they are doing most of their festive shopping via the internet.

However, the report suggests that as e-commerce's share of the overall retail market appears to be only slightly higher than that of the high street, retailers would do well to adopt a multi-channel approach to their operations.

"It is important that retailers tie their online and offline marketing and promotions into one common goal," says Ismail Ismail, director at Webcredible.

He adds that retail websites should offer high levels of usability to help those consumers who do their research online before making a purchase from a bricks-and-mortar store.

The research also shows that over half of consumers intend to carry out their Christmas shopping at the last minute, with the economic downturn the most likely reason for this as shoppers wait for the best deals.

According to the IMRG Capgemini e-Retail Sales Index, online spending in the UK rose by 26 per cent in November compared with the previous month.