Global ecommerce platform Rakuten and owners of Play.com explores the rise of online Christmas shopping in visual form.
Cyber Monday, the busiest online shopping day in the lead up to Christmas, is well documented across the pond, but is also a growing trend in the UK.
Rakuten’s Play.com reveals that on the first Monday in December last year there was a 43% spike in sales from the previous day, and two thirds of the 43% spike were new customers.
Data from the IMRG reveals that online spend in December has almost doubled over the last 4 years, going from £4.7 billion spent in December 2008, to £7.9 billion spent last December; equivalent to £155 per person, and this year the rise in online spend it expected to continue.
However, it’s not just a simple story of increasing online spend; the way people make purchases is constantly evolving. Did you know that the IMRG has predicted that UK online sales made through a mobile device could reach £1 in every £5 by Christmas 2012?
Here are some of the most interesting stats from the last five years of Christmas shopping:
• According to YouGov, 640,000 tablets were given as gifts to adults, with the iPad dominating the market with 72% of sales in 2011.
• Boxing Day 2011 was the biggest ever day for online retail in the UK, according to Experian Hitwise.
• The Royal Mail handles roughly 700 million Christmas cards and 40 million parcels from Internet shoppers per year.
• The standard rate of VAT was temporarily reduced to 15 per cent on 1 December 2008, resulting in people spending on ‘big ticket items’ for Christmas.
• In 2006 as many as 84% of us sent a Christmas card, but this dropped to just 73% in 2009.
Adam Stewart, Marketing Director at Rakuten’s Play.com commented: “Cyber Monday has landed in the UK and is here to stay, as December sets in and shoppers begin buying Christmas presents in earnest. This US export is a fantastic opportunity to engage with online shoppers and retailers should take it with both hands, whether that means offering a special deal, free delivery or just ensuring that shoppers can find the top sellers on your site. Retailers and merchants can host Cyber Monday with a British twist and make it successful by understanding their customers shopping habits and offering a great, personalised online experience.”
