More than £10 billion is expected to be spent online by Brits during December, with Monday 2nd being the busiest day of all, retail-week.com reports.
According to the latest IMRG Capgemini e-Retail Sales Index, online purchases could amount to a record-breaking £10.8 billion during December alone. If this happens to be the case, it will mark the first time that e-retail sales figures have broken the £10 billion mark over the already-lucrative Christmas period.
Whilst the Index points to a big season to come, it also notes that some of the Christmas shopping may have started in earnest already, with November set for solid results as well. Over the nine week period running from November to the last day for Christmas delivery, it is estimated that £20.4 billion in sales will be generated.
Perhaps most notably, the study also claimed that average conversion rates will be expected to reach five per cent over the festive season, thus bringing it back to levels not seen since before the financial crisis.
Commenting on the longer-term aspect of these results, chief information officer at IMRG, Tina Spooner, told internetretailing.net: “For the first time in three years, we expect annual e-retail growth to exceed the level recorded in the previous year, with 2013 sales on target to achieve 15 per cent growth on last year.
“The increase in the number of browsers that convert to buyers is also positive news for retailers as they gear up for the key festive trading period, with the average conversion rate expected to reach pre-recession levels during the fourth quarter.”
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