Cyber Monday was the busiest ever online shopping day in the UK, new figures have revealed.
Monday December 3rd 2012 saw British shoppers make a total of 112 million visits to retail websites, a 32 per cent rise on last year‘s figure and the highest ever visitor number recorded in a single day.
In total, UK consumers spent 15 hours on retail sites, an average of eight minutes and 12 seconds per visit and pure play e-tailers eBay and Amazon proved most popular, with general merchandise retailer Argos coming third.
These three sites accounted for 30 per cent of all retail site visits on the day while the top 100 retail websites accounted for 62 per cent of all retail visits.
Amazon.com and its UK counterpart experienced the largest increase in market share compared to Cyber Monday 2011, accounting for 12.18 per cent of all retail visits, up from 10.85 per cent last year.
Commenting on the huge popularity of the day, James Murray, Digital Insight Manager for Experian Marketing Services said: “As we predicted, Cyber Monday smashed previous online shopping records with Brits making a massive 112 million visits to online retailers on Monday.
“This represents a 32 per cent increase from Cyber Monday last year and is the biggest single day of online shopping we‘ve ever witnessed.
“There is still plenty of shopping time between now and Christmas however, and in particular we are expecting a lot of last-minute panic buying online on Christmas Eve as consumers take advantage of click-and-collect services.
“Marketers need to be aware of these trends so they can engage with their customers at the right time to maximise sales in what could be a bumper Christmas year for online retail.”
Experian also noted that two mobile sites were among the fastest moving websites on the day, with eBay UK Mobile and Argos Mobile coming third and sixth respectively, highlighting the growing relevance of m-commerce.
Indeed, new research by technology specialist Usablenet found that mobile site traffic soared 36 per cent compared to last year with a nearly 10 per cent rise in traffic via tablets.
Carin Van Vuuren, Marketing Chief for Usablenet, said: “The rise in tablet traffic is significant for retailers, especially with iPad leading this growth, as not only is it becoming the fastest growing channel, but users have a higher basket value than smartphone shoppers, and it is a more convenient shopping experience due to a larger screen.
“We work with our clients to provide a seamless brand experience across all channels and devices to provide an enhanced and engaging experience that responds to and shapes changes in purchasing behaviour.
“Cyber Monday has demonstrated that, despite challenging economic conditions, reduced consumer confidence and a decline in retail sales, consumers still have considerable appetite for spending.
“The next three weeks will be critical for retailers as the countdown to Christmas is in full swing.”
