Visits to UK retail websites were up by 14% year on year in December 2005, outperforming earlier estimates that the sector would enjoy an increase of 12% during the Christmas month.
According to online competitive intelligence monitor, Hitwise, visits to retail websites were up significantly in the week after Christmas, seeing a rise of 16% year on year for the week ending 31st December 2005.
Retail sectors fuelling the growth included ticketing, with growth of 365% year on year, followed by auctions with a rise of 29% and apparel and accessories increasing by 24% compared to the same period last year.
Last year saw online analyst eMarketer predict a rise in popularity for e-commerce across Europe, with increases of 40% expected for 2005. The rise, it is claimed, was spurred on by the adoption of broadband across the continent, with online shopping and purchasing on the rise even in countries with deteriorating offline retail markets (see European E-Commerce Forecast To Rise By 40% In 2005).
The strong performance seen in the UK’s online retail sector was mirrored in the US, with the recent Holiday eSpending Report from Goldman Sachs, Nielsen//NetRatings and Harris Interactive showing online shopping spend to have reached $30.1 billion during the holiday season, up 30% year on year (see US E-Commerce Passes $30 Million For 2005 Holiday Season).
The report found that online shoppers spent the most money on apparel/clothing, totalling $5.3 billion, a rise of 42% compared to the same time last year.
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