smallbusiness.co.uk: Helping your business think big

A promising venture

Previously, we’ve looked at the reasons why many describe the...
Have your say »

RSS

Bumper Christmas Day for online sellers

Jan 08 2010

Online businesses saw a surge in Christmas Day shopping

E-retailers have seen a surge in Christmas Day sales as shoppers clambered online for bargains.

Revenue was up 29 per cent to £131 million on Christmas Day compared to the previous year, according to internet body IMRG.

Zak Edwards, owner of Prezzybox.com, says he has had a record season: ‘Our turnover nearly doubled over the Christmas period compared to last year and we had four times as many shoppers on Christmas Day – which just seems ridiculous to me! I think people are definitely becoming more savvy about using technology to compare and buy online.’

Victoria Hesketh, founder of Accessories Online, says: ‘Revenue was up by 44 per cent on Christmas Day and over the season we were up by 56 per cent. I think that’s due to a combination of more people shopping online and our new site.’

David Smith, director of operations at IMRG, says an increase in the popularity of social networking sites may have been responsible for the surge. ‘Online retailers were able to benefit from this changing consumer behaviour by achieving record sales volumes with many sales and offers starting on Christmas Eve,’ he adds.

But overall the yuletide period remained tough for the majority of SME retailers, with 69 per cent saying sales were the same or worse compared to last year, according to a poll from SmallBusiness.co.uk.

Comments

There are currently no comments on this article

Misco Offers for small businesses

At Misco, we understand the constraints faced by small businesses. This is why, we’ve built a team of specialists readily available to share with you their expertise and work with you to find tailored IT solutions fitted to your business requirements. View our offers or call our team of experts today on freephone 0808 181 7582 or by email smallbiz@misco.co.uk.

FREE Legal, Financial, Accountancy & HR Help

Aska Professional understands the challenges faced by small businesses. That’s why we provide instant access to professional advice and legal templates. FREE access to Solicitors, Accountants, Financial Advisors & HR Specialists. Ask our experts a question and get a personal response within 60 minutes. Sign up now to ask a question - FREE.

Barclays Business Start Up Account

Get everything you'd expect from a Barclays Business account…Free business banking for up to 2 years (Ts&Cs apply). Free day-to-day support from our Barclays Business Team by phone 24/7 and Mobile Banking, manage your account quickly and easily from a web-enabled phone. Apply online.

Polls

Latest News

Quarterly manufacturing performance was gloomy

Manufacturing output slumps on the quarter

Sentiment among the UK’s small and medium-sized manufacturers fell for the third quarter running in the three months to January, finds research.

Retailers 'trying to absorb crunch costs'

British retails are "doing their best" to avoid passing on the increased costs due to rising prices, according to the British Retail Consortium (BRC).

Manufacturing 'kick-starts back into life'

The UK manufacturing sector started 2012 on a positive footing with a key sector index rising to an eight-month high.

Glimmer of hope for sales in 2012

Consumer confidence in the UK rose in January.

SMEs hit by bad weather

Heavy snowfall has again taken small businesses in the UK by surprise.

UK trade deficit expands

The UK trade deficit in goods and services widened to £2.6 billion in November 2011, from a revised £1.9 billion in October, according to Office of National Statistics figures.

Businesses cold on Olympic legacy

The majority of small companies believe the London 2012 Olympic Games will not benefit their business in the long term, research finds.

SMEs expect a productive 2012

More than four fifths of small and medium-sized enterprises in the UK believe that next year will be just as prosperous or even better than 2011.

Retail boost still less than expected

Year on year retail sales volumes are up for the first time in seven months, but sales are considered poor for the time of year, finds the Confederation of British Industry's monthly Distributive Trades Survey.

More gloom for manufacturers

UK manufacturers report a further weakening in total order books in December, while export orders remain well below their long term average.

FSB hails Portas retail review

The Federation of Small Businesses has urged the government to act quickly on the findings of Mary Portas’ review of the high street.

Guides & Tips

Opening up your business to global trade

Either finding suppliers or selling your products abroad is very important for a successful and thriving company.

Pay per Click Advertising for Small Businesses in 2011

It's been quite awhile since we last looked at Pay per Click (commonly shortened to PPC) advertising on search engines, and while the basics remain the same, there have been some important changes since that last article and there is also a major market-changing event in the pipeline to which you should be alerted.

Taking the business abroad can open up many new opportunities

Doing business abroad

SmallBusiness.co.uk investigates the steps to take when considering expansion into foreign markets.

Don't Miss

Searching for sales

Simon Campbell set up online marketing service The Sandpit less than six months ago, but is projecting £1 million in sales for its first year of trading.

David Strang is flying high with his boomerangs

Big returns

David Strang’s boomerang and toy company Wicked Vision has soared since he first launched it ten years ago.

Keep your customers coming back for more

Retaining customers

Keeping customers coming back for more isn't always easy. Here are ten top tips on how to retain a loyal consumer base.

Store

FT Guide to Personal Tax

The FT Guide to Personal Tax is published by Pearson Education. Written by Sara Williams, CEO of Vitesse Media Plc and John Bloxham, this unique guide gives step-by-step advice to completing your tax return as well as over 230 tax-saving tips.

Growth Company Investor

Growth Company Investor is widely recognised as the leading magazine for investors interested in AIM and smallcap companies. Published 10 times per year, and brought to you by an award-winning analyst team, it offers subscribers unrivalled insight into high-potential smaller companies. Subscribe today with a 50% discount in your first year.

FT Guide to Business Start Up

The FT Guide to Business Start Up 2012, published by Pearson Education, is written by Sara Williams, CEO of Vitesse Media Plc. This unique guide has sold over two million copies. It offers practical advice about starting and running your own business.