Women Dominate Success Of Online Christmas
UK Women are 38% more likely than men to buy a Christmas gift online and 55% more likely than men to do “as much of their Christmas shopping as possible” over the internet, according to analysts Nielsen//NetRatings.
62% of Britons online expect to make more Christmas gift purchases via the internet than last year, whilst this festive season, women will spend more than men on Christmas gifts in total and Christmas gifts online, £240 this year up from £233 last year.
The latest figures have also shown that women are one third more likely than men to raise money for Christmas spending by selling items on classifieds and auctions sites.
Alex Burmaster, European internet analyst at Nielsen//NetRatings said, “There is little doubt that the behaviour of all areas of the internet population is encouraging for retailers this Christmas. However, perhaps for the first time, it is the behaviour of women online that will dominate the success of the online Christmas.”
Online consumers in the North West of the UK are the most generous – spending an average of £446 per person on Christmas gifts. South East consumers are the least generous, averaging £414 per person.
However, consumers in the North West will actually spend the least on gifts purchased online (£211) whilst their counterparts in the South West will spend the most online (£242).
The research indicates that convenience is the single best thing about shopping online for Christmas (cited by 34% of Britons online) followed by the absence of crowds (23%), waiting or queues (17%). Only one in eight (12%) cited cheaper prices as the best thing.
Overall, Britons online will dedicate 55% of their total Christmas gift spend to online – spending an average of £237 online and £197 on the high street.
It is the elder consumer that will dedicate the greatest percentage of Christmas gift spend to online, with 35-44 year olds dedicating 57% and 16-24 year olds the least at 52%.
“Not only does the internet account for the majority of Christmas gift spend amongst the online population but it is also being used by almost half as the first stage in the buying process on the high street,” said Burmaster.
“The potential for online retailers, is therefore, even greater if they can convert people at the ‘point of research’ into buyers there and then. On the other hand, high street retailers need to ensure that they minimise the chances of losing their customers at this point by improving their own online offering.”
The Nielsen//NetRatings’ research has shown that 43% of Britons online always try to buy trusted or big brand names as Christmas presents. Tesco (cited by 40% of Britons online) is the most popular supermarket for getting the Christmas groceries online – twice as popular as nearest rival Asda (19%) and almost three times as popular as Sainsburys (15%).
Nielsen//NetRatings: 01865 732 388 www.nielsennetratings.com