Companies that trade on the internet are far more confident about 2007 than those who avoid online trading, according to a new survey.
Three quarters of companies surveyed by retail consultants Actinic expected online sales to grow over the next year compared to only 25% of those that thought there would be offline growth.
The festive season proved fruitful for online retailers compared with a relatively slow period for high street traders, according to the report.
Online stores reported a 96% increase in turnover during November and December compared to the same period in 2005.
Actinic said that most of the increase came from consumers spending a bigger proportion of their Christmas budget online. The number of internet shoppers also increased by 30%.
However, despite a relatively slow Christmas, high street retailers have gained trading momentum with the start of the post-Christmas sales.
“After an anxious wait, bargain hunters didn’t disappoint this year turning out in force to boost shopper numbers up +6.9% compared to Boxing Day 2005,” said Natasha Burton, spokesperson for retail analysts Footfall.
“This year, the steady build up and the quiet Christmas Eve seems to suggest that consumers were waiting for the post-Christmas sales and that the savvy shopper is now back out shopping with a vengeance.”
Burton said last week’s increase in footfall has ‘hopefully set the tone for a prosperous sales period ahead’.
© Crimson Business Ltd. 2007
