Christmas e-tail set to break records

by Hayley Pinkerfield, Revolution UK 23-Oct-07, 11:00

LONDON - The UK internet market is set to rise by 40 per cent from last year this Christmas, and online retailers are warned to prepare for a record-breaking season.

British shoppers are expected to spend £13.6 billion (€19.5 bn) online, more than France and Germany combined, from 1 October to Christmas Day, according to research by Forrester Research revealed today.

Britons spend the most online, followed by Germans (€11.5 bn) and the French (€6.5 bn). The UK holds a 38.5 per cent share of the European internet retail market, compared to 22.7 per cent for Germany and 12.7 per cent for France.

The average British shopper will spend a sizeable £509 (€731) online this Christmas, according to the research.

Forrester Research cites increased broadband penetration, time efficiency and the speed and reliability of online retail as reasons behind an expected 58 per cent surge in sales across Europe.

Forrester used data from the major online retailers, including John Lewis in the UK, and consumer and retailer surveys in 17 countries. The data included travel spending, which is the largest category in online spending, accounting for 31 per cent of money spent online.