Online sales jump 25% in cold snap
Online spending increased 25% in December to £6.8bn as the snow sent shoppers online.
Sales were up 7% on the previous month and increased 25% when compared to the previous December, according to the IMRG Capgemini e-Retail Sales Index,
Sales of clothing and alcohol saw the strongest growth in the Christmas trading period up 40% and 36% respectively during December.
Online retail surpassed expectations as shoppers spent a total of £58.8bn online throughout the year, an 18% increase on the previous year.
Online retail was expected to grow 13%.
The e-commerce research group forecasts 18% growth in 2011 and expects consumers to spend £69 billion with online retailers.
James Roper, chief executive at IMRG, says: “December saw an incredible jump in online sales as a result of the weather conditions and it’s reassuring to see that despite the coverage of delivery problems, consumer confidence was not affected.
“Growing confidence and reliance on e-retail during times of adversity, whether that’s harsh weather conditions or belt-tightening as a result of the economy, has been reflected in the impressive growth throughout 2010.”
