Shoppers prefer to spend online in the run up to Christmas, with a 26% surge in November sales proving to be the highest of the year. Online retailers defy the recession as sales grow by 16% year on year and sees shoppers splurge on clothing, footwear and accessories as they prepare for the festive season.
Figures released from the IMRG Capgemini e-Retail Sales Index yesterday show that growth in online spending for November surged 26% on October. Despite difficult conditions, shoppers appear to be attempting to beat the recession in the run up to Christmas by heading online, with online retailers continuing to fare better than their high street equivalents.
In November, for the first time this year, every sector tracked by the index saw positive monthly and yearly growth. In particular, sales of shoes and accessories grew ahead of the Christmas party season, by 32% and 108% respectively. But the growth in sales of clothes (18%) failed to match this, demonstrating that shoppers may be updating old looks in favour of splashing out on a new wardrobe.
Mike Petevinos, Head of Consulting for Retail at Capgemini UK, said: “The Christmas spirit is with us, but it seems clear that shoppers are being more considered than ever in making their generosity fit their budgets. The current climate is causing consumers to turn to the internet to help them make more informed value decisions and purchases.”
Paul Frantz, Industry Head-Retail Google UK, added: “For e-commerce marketers, keeping pace with the demands and interests of their customers presents a real opportunity to develop their competitive edge and invest in long term growth and profits in the most cost- effective way possible. The downturn in the economy is the first in the digital age and it is far from clear exactly how deep or lasting it will be. What is evident though, is that there is no slowdown in consumers’ adoption of e-commerce. The UK is Europe’s largest online market with residents already averaging 33 hours per month online. Search behaviour has also been impacted, with the search term “discount vouchers”, for instance, rising 94% in the last 30 days according to Google Insights .Online technology now offers a clear and unambiguous measurement of every pound, dollar or euro spent online. Businesses looking to react fast to current search trends or convert website visitors into buyers have powerful free tools at their finger tips like Google Analytics, Website Optimiser and Insights for Search.”
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