Festive Cheer for eShops

More than half of GB Internet users who did not shop online at Christmas last year (one third of all users) intend to do so this year. This is according to a new survey released this week by Lightspeed Research (LSR). At the same time, two fifths of users claim they had shopped for Christmas online last year and would do so again now.

Amongst previous festive spenders, 52% are also believed to be willing to spend the same as they did last year, 35% are willing to spend more and 13% set to spend less.

Given an average online spend of £140 per person for the Christmas 2000 period, LSR has estimated a total GB retail potential of £1.4 billion spend this season. Such a level represents roughly twice last year's estimated Christmas spend.

In this sense, the conclusion can be drawn that the ease and convenience of shopping online, along with the ability to avoid in-store queues, is proving ever more attractive to the British online community. This trend should serve to encourage advertisers back to the Internet, following a drop in online ad spend on UK sites over the last few months.

The findings are based on LSR's autumn online survey of the purchasing intentions of 12,500 GB consumers for this Christmas season.

All articles 2006-22 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas unless otherwise stated.

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