Online Shopping Attracts More Than 8 Million Britons
Research from NOP World shows that the UK’s internet retail sector hit new heights in the pre-Christmas period with 8.4 million adults choosing to shop online. This is equivalent to 43% of all regular web users in the country.
Carl Geraghty, Research Manager at NOP World said: “Although there is some seasonality in the latest figures, strong growth since December 2001 which continued through June, underlines that, for many Britons, online shopping is not just for Christmas. Users are more comfortable with the online experience and reap the benefits of convenience and Â’queue-bustingÂ’, whilst also feeling the benefit in their wallet. For some product areas, the internet is the main way they pay for goods in an average month, and the average user expects to at least double their online spend over the coming year.”
| UK Online Shopping Trends | |
| Month | Online Shoppers (m) |
| Dec 96 | 0.26 |
| Jun 97 | 0.31 |
| Dec 97 | 0.35 |
| Jun 98 | 0.48 |
| Dec 98 | 1.00 |
| Jun 99 | 1.44 |
| Dec 99 | 3.07 |
| Jun 00 | 3.37 |
| Dec 00 | 5.20 |
| Jun 01 | 4.80 |
| Dec 01 | 5.80 |
| Jun 02 | 5.90 |
| Dec 02 | 8.40 |
| Source: NOP World, January 2003 | |
