Britain Gears Up For First Cyber Christmas: One In Three Internet Users Are Looking To Buy Presents Online
Almost a third of British Internet users (31%), representing 3.6 million individuals, are looking to use the Internet to do their Christmas shopping this year, according to a MORI poll commissioned by online video and DVD retailer BlackStar.co.uk.
MORI surveyed more than 500 British Internet users on behalf of BlackStar to ascertain their attitudes towards buying Christmas presents over the Internet, and how much they were likely to spend. Those planning to buy Yuletide gifts online are considering spending around £130 each, representing just over a third of their total Christmas shopping budget of £446.
Britain has an estimated 11.5 million Internet users, a penetration of 25 per cent of the total population. According to BlackStar, if all Internet users who were considering using the Internet this Christmas spent £130 each online, the total expenditure on online Christmas presents in Britain this year would top £450 million.
Jeremy Glover, co-founder and director of BlackStar said, Santa has swapped his sleigh for a surfboard this year. This doesn't just represent a step up for Christmas cyber shopping compared to last year, its a gigantic leap. 1999 will truly be Britains first cyber Christmas.
We are accelerating our hiring plans for customer service personnel to cope with the anticipated pre-Christmas demand. Our customers say our personalised service and free delivery make online shopping more practical for them, added Glover.
The case for shopping online this Christmas is compelling. More than a third (35%) of survey respondents expect to save time and 20 per cent expect to save money. Men are more likely to see the benefits of online shopping than women and are twice as likely to see potential costs savings as a benefit. Surprisingly, only five per cent of respondents plan to shop online to avoid shopping on the High Street with their partner.
The most popular goods Britains Internet users are likely to buy online this Christmas are CDs (27%) and books (27%); followed by cinema, theatre and concert tickets (14%), videos and DVDs (13%), flights and holidays (13%) as well as computer equipment (13%). Shopping for toys is likely to be contained within the High Street.
Most people shopping online this Christmas will do so from the comfort of their armchairs, with only seven per cent of respondents considering using the Internet to shop from work.
Web sites would have to offer cheaper prices than the High Street and free delivery in order to make online shopping more appealing, said a half and a third of Internet users respectively. They would also be encouraged to shop online more frequently if Web sites had fewer hidden charges such as VAT (28%) and offered assured delivery dates (26%), a no quibbles exchange policy (25%) and a wider range of products than available on the High Street (21%).
Regional variances:
Key survey results:
- Internet users in the north will spend the most on Christmas shopping this year. Average budgets are £520 in the north compared to £436 in the south and £439 in the midlands.
- 22% of midlanders buying online anticipate spending more than 45 per cent of their total Christmas shopping budget over the web, compared to 19% of southerners and 12% of northerners.
- 40% of northerners expect to save time using the Internet for Christmas shopping compared to 27% of southerners and 39% of midlanders.
- 27% of midlanders expect to save money by using the Internet for Christmas shopping compared to 16% of northerners and 17% of southerners.
Gender and age variances:
Key survey results:
- Men are more likely to see the benefits of shopping online this Christmas, with time (38%) and money savings (25%) viewed as important, compared to responses of 30 per cent and 13 per cent respectively from women to the same questions.
- People of all ages and social classes are planning to shop online this Christmas.
- Only two per cent of males are likely to buy lingerie over the web.
Technical details
The survey was placed on MORI's Omnibus, and a nationally representative quota sample of 506 British Internet Users were interviewed by MORI/Field & Tab across 160 constituency-based sampling points.
Interviews were carried out using CAPI (Computer Assisted Personal Interviewing) face-to-face in respondents' homes between 8th and 12th October 1999. Data have been weighted to reflect the national population profile.
