By Natasha Lomas, 17 December 2007 16:04
NEWS
So much for speakers blaring out decades' old Christmas hits and shop windows groaning under truck-loads of fake snow, cyberspace is fast replacing the high street as the place of choice to net Xmas gifts.
Just nine per cent of the 169 respondents to a silicon.com reader poll said they won't be doing any of their Christmas shopping online this year, meaning the vast majority plan to make some online purchases. And a significant proportion (18 per cent) said they will do all their shopping online - not something that will bring festive cheer to bricks-and-mortar retailers.
The largest percentage group - almost a third (32 per cent) - of readers said they will do three-quarters of their shopping online, while 20 per cent plan to log on for half their gift buying needs. A further 21 per cent said they will do a quarter of their shopping online.
No queues, less stress and a greater choice of goods are all making the web a more attractive place to shop - while cheaper broadband and increasingly slick ecommerce sites have reduced the cost and hassle of click-based shopping.
A recent forecast by market research company Forrester, predicted more than 70 per cent of UK web users will shop online, each spending an average of more than 700 during the holiday shopping season.
Forrester said the UK leads Europe when it comes to opting to go online for Christmas shopping.
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