skip to main content

2,634 shops listed | Last updated: Friday, March 29, 2024

Monitor Add a site

December 2nd 2013 identified as biggest day for e-commerce

Wednesday, November 6, 2013 - 12:02 by Graham Miller

Share on

Analysts at IMRG have predicted that the 2nd of December this year will see consumers spend more via safe shopping online, over a 24 hour period, than at any other point.

The first Monday in the last month of 2013 will kick start a spending spree, which is expected to top ?10.8 billion over the course of the next 29 days.

Never before have Brits spent over ?10 billion in a single month, but all the signs are pointing to another bumper Christmas period for e-commerce retailers.

The combined spend during November and December is expected to rise above ?20 billion, with the annual growth in the e-commerce market over the course of the past 12 months expected to hit 15 per cent, once all the figures have been calculated.

The market for safe shopping online has still been growing, in spite of the economic downturn in recent years, but an increase in growth has not actually been recorded since 2009, which is why the boost anticipated in the next two months is so remarkable.

IMRG spokesperson, Tina Spooner, said that part of the reason for the growth in sales is that e-commerce sites are likely to get better at converting casual visitors into paying customers, with additional options for delivery, such as click & collect services, helping to bolster performance ahead of Christmas 2013.

Spooner pointed out that some retailers are going even further to appeal to people in the festive rush, with a growing number of companies offering one hour delivery services in certain areas of the country.

Analysts are expecting the availability of bargain basement tablets to help convince more people to shop online, both this year and going forwards into 2013, particularly in the wake of the launch of own-brand devices from Tesco and Argos.