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Holidays Cheer U.K. Online Merchants

IMRG reports 16.5 percent increase in December e-retail.

E-retailers in the U.K. enjoyed the holiday cheer as shoppers spent 7.9 billion pounds online in December, an increase of 16.5 percent from December 2010, according to the IMRG Capgemini e-Retail Sales Index.

This followed a strong November that saw sales increase 12 percent from the prior year. In total, 2011 online sales reached 68 billion pounds, up 16 percent from 2010, IMRG reports.

The report seems to support comScore’s recent finding of a 15-percent increase in sales during the months of November and December.

Online retail now accounts for 17 percent of the total U.K. retail market, and will only increase in market share as consumers grow more comfortable with mobile commerce, notes Chris Webster, head of retail consulting and technology at Capgemini.

“The rapid rise of mobile in 2011 will continue into 2012 as consumers become familiar with shopping via tablet devices and smartphones, some taking advantage of their recent Christmas presents,” Webster says.

The Index is forecast to grow 13 percent in 2012 to 77 billion pounds. While the trend indicates slowing growth, IMRG notes that it is still impressive, coming off a high base of 25-percent growth in 2010.

“Despite the fact that consumers are finding themselves with less and less disposable income, the e-retail market keeps defying the general retail trend to record double-digit growth,” says James Roper, CEO of IMRG. “Online is such an integral part of the shopping experience now that it generally plays at least some part in most purchases, whether through research and comparison or social media and product reviews.”


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