Christmas shoppers ‘heading online’

Shoppers in the UK are set to turn to the internet this festive season, with £1 out of every £3 to be spent online.

Research from Santander found 34 per cent of Christmas spending will use the internet, broken down into 25 per cent going through online retailers and nine per cent used for auction websites.

Overall, this is more than the intended 33 per cent of seasonal shopping heading for the high street, consisting of 20 per cent for individual stores and 13 per cent for bigger department businesses. add space The third largest area is the supermarket, set to receive 29 per cent of festive expenses.

For many, convenience is an important factor cut, with 64 per cent of online shoppers stating this as their main reason for buying goods via the web, while a* slightly smaller group (59 per cent) claim it is because the same things are sold for less and 35 per cent state there is more variety.

Other reasons given include the fact certain items are only available on the internet (34 per cent), because discounts and cashback schemes can be taken advantage of (26 per cent), or simply not enjoying shopping on the high street (22 per cent).

In terms of spending habits this year, 30 per cent of Santander's respondents said they will be 'showrooming' – heading into physical retail stores to examine goods to purchase online later. Yet over a quarter (27 per cent) said they will do the opposite, searching for products on the internet before acquiring them in-store.

Almost one in six (15 per cent) will head to the web to find the cheapest prices and negotiate for even better offers in-store. In other cost cutting measures, 19 per cent are waiting to use cashback credit cards and services, with 19 per cent waiting to make the most of flash sales.

Each adult expects to spend an average of £175 on presents, a five per cent increase from last year – the biggest single jump, however, will be seen in festive food and drink. Britons will payout £58.80 each in this area, up 41 per cent from £41.80 last year. In total, £340.80 will be spent by each person, a rise of 12 per cent from 2012's £303.20.

Posted by Amy White