4 January 2008
Internet Research firm Hitwise, have released research that shows that Boxing Day was the busiest day for online retailers over the Christmas shopping period, and therefore the whole of 2007.
During Boxing Day there were 7.1% more UK Internet visits to shopping and classifieds websites - 1.3% more than Boxing Day last year in 2006.
Hitwise Director of Research, Robin Goad comments:
Online Christmas shopping patterns have changed significantly over the last two years. Historically, online retailers have focused on the pre-Christmas shopping period and, in 2005, the peak shopping day online was 4th December. However, this year, bargain-hungry British shoppers have voted with their wallets, and more people than ever are shunning cold turkey on Boxing Day in favour of online sales shopping.
The research also showed that high street retailers received over double as many UK Internet visits on Boxing Day as their pure web-based retail rivals. The five high street retailers with the most visited websites were: Argos, Currys, Comet, Marks & Spencer and Next.
Goad also comments:
The popularity of high street retailers during the sales season is due to a combination of strong brand presence and shoppers choosing to browse online before heading out to the high street or shopping centre. Looking at the top five list, it is clear that the most popular sales shopping items this year will be electricals and clothing.
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