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Story URL: http://www.silicon.com/retailandleisure/0,3800011842,39340149,00.htm

Britain's £28m Xmas shopping lunchtime
On your marks, get set, shop

By Julian Goldsmith

Published: Wednesday 12 November 2008

While high street shoppers are looking to trim back their Christmas shopping, retailers will at least get some cheer from a moderate rise in web spending as Britons flock online to spend millions in their lunchtimes.

silicon.com Retail & Leisure

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According to findings from the IMRG Capgemini e-Retail Sales Index, UK shoppers will spend £13.16bn online in the last quarter of 2008 - a 15 per cent year-on-year increase.

Although online growth will offset static spending in stores, it's a drop on the 54 per cent year-on-year online sales growth retailers enjoyed last year.

The researchers forecast £1.2m will be spent on apparel in the period, a growth of 25 per cent on last year, while alcohol sales will reach £233m during Q4 2008 and £24m will be bought in the first week of December alone.

The researchers say Monday 8 December will be the biggest UK online shopping day before the holiday, notching up sales worth £320m, with over 40 per cent of sales made out of office hours. However, the peak shopping hour is expected at between 1pm and 2pm when £28m will be spent in just that one hour.

While the e-Retail Sales Index is bullish about online Christmas shopping, a Deloitte survey of 1000 shoppers found consumers will be spending less as a group and diverting spend to activities at home. Grocers should fare well, as shoppers stock up on party foods rather than dining out.

Deloitte head of retail Tarlok Teji told silicon.com: "This year, the number of people expecting to go online to shop hasn't gone up significantly, suggesting last year was when the channel matured. However, those that do will have a higher average spend than those shopping on the high street. People are obviously comfortable with shopping online now."