Online spending in the UK for the three month period that includes Christmas will reach £15 billion, according to a report from Capgemini and Interactive Media in Retail Group (IMRG).                        

That represents around a 40% increase from last year. The e-commerce industry body says that the increase follows improved availability of broadband Internet connections and improved confidence in the security of online transactions.

It also pointed to changing demographics on the web. Web surfers are now split almost evenly between the sexes (although men still spend more time online), and half of women under 25 now buy clothes online, according to figures from Nielsen / NetRatings.

The body’s own measure of general satisfaction among online customers was 80.2%. But according to another study released this week by online video technology vendor vzaar.com, over 50% of online shoppers are dissatisfied with purchased items when they arrive.

Further reading

Read the IMRG report

Find more stories in the CRM & Marketing Briefing Room