Online sales surge tipped to increase consumers’ festive spending

Industry News By Rhys Little, 27th November 2013

A huge increase in online sales will allow retailers to experience a more lucrative Christmas than last year, according to new figures.

A study by Deloitte has forecast that online sales will rise by 19 per cent year-on-year over the festive period, surpassing the £5 billion mark.

That will help British retailers bank £40.3 billion worth of festive spending in total, it said.

According to theregister.co.ukthe study cited improved delivery options and the growing popularity of online shopping in general as the main factors behind the increased spending.

Ian Geddes, who is UK head of retail at Deloitte, suggested that the improving economy would also play a key role.

Speaking to freshbusinessthinking.comhe said: “The forecast will provide some Christmas cheer for retailers. Shoppers are expected to loosen purse strings off the back of rising consumer confidence and improving economic conditions.”

The rush to prepare for Christmas is already well under way, with marketers pulling out all the stops to attract customers both online and offline.

Yet, Geddes believes that it’s the delivery options offered by e-commerce companies which could help them stand out from the crowd.

“Store collection is now seen as a basic offering and those retailers without this capability will struggle to convert online sales and lose resulting footfall in-store,” he said.