E-commercial Christmas cracker in 2007: 15 pence in every pound spent online

In the 12 weeks up to Christmas 2007, £15.2 billion was expended online, with December's sales little short of being 50% higher than 2006, according to the latest e-retail report from industry pivot the Interactive Media in Retail Group (IMRG) and consulting company CapGemini. Depending on the sector, the December YoY sales growth vary from 28% for the clothing to 60% for electrical goods. Marks and Spencer, while reporting poor business-street sales results, surprisingly showed a 78% online rising.
"If you look at availability, capacity and familiarity, it's clear that there's huge further potential for growth in this area," James Roper, IMRG Chief Executive, said. "If it continues in anything like this shape, in five years time half of all retail will be online."

Anthoula Madden, Vice President of consumer products and retail team in CapGemini, debated that retail traders must still work to meet raised customer outlooks of service, specifically in delivery. "Those with good results have addressed the front-end web site as well as [things like] the supply chain and warehousing," she added. "The full value chain is important here."

Meanwhile, a new report by e-market exploratory firm eDigital Research stated that on Christmas (Boxing) Day, 22% (31%) of respondents went online for pre-purchase products' and prices' research. The survey suggests an increasing refinement in consumer shopping behavior and the necessity to integrate online and offline channels more effectively to satisfy customer demand, according to meaning of eDigital Research director Chris Russell.