Huge Sales Online Over Xmas!
As the high streets are reporting a poorer taking this year it is hard to wonder why. With postage of packages reportedly up 20% on last year, according to the Royal Mail.
£53 million was spent on Christmas Day 2007 Online by 3 million people, an 80% increase on last year. We have clients who have spent over four figures on their Pay Per Click Advertising on Christmas Day which is quite astounding considering that online marketing really didn’t exist to this extent, 6 years ago. It is clear to say that the world we live in today is very different and it is being shaped by the internet.
High street shops have reported lower profits on last year in the week leading up to Xmas and the main reason for this is the increased amount of searches and purchases being made online. With the ease of internet usage and accessibility, shopping online is a becoming a more attractive alternative to shopping on the high street. The stats show that we have had an increase in the amount of searches and amount that has been processed online in terms of orders.
However, postage and delivery is a reason for a down turn in the amount of online searches being made. After the 21st December, it isn’t possible to place an online order and get it delivered in time for Christmas, therefore we saw a significant decrease in the number of searches for retail goods, with only half of the normal quota of searches being made. Therefore, the shoppers go back to the traditional high street to finish off their late Xmas Shopping.
But, we again see that online is becoming ever more present. Normally we have seen Boxing Day Sales and January sales starting on the 26th or 27th December on the high streets and shops are inclined to open at god-forsaken hours in the morning, like Next opening at 5am on the 27th! However, with the increasing reach and usability that the internet brings we have seen record sales online on Xmas Day, with £53 million spent. January Sales now start on the 25th December, not on the 26th or 27th.
Overall it has been a good year for Online Advertising, with £2.75 billion spent for 2007 in the UK alone.
