UK shoppers spent £24.4bn online over the Christmas period, up 3.7% year-on-year, as deep discounting and BNPL drove sales.
Online prices were discounted in the range of 11% on average when compared with pre-Christmas season levels, according to Adobe.
Data from the computer software company also found Brits spent £3.3bn using BNPL services over the season, spanning from 1 November to 31 December, up 12.7% year-over-year.
The highest spend days were Black Friday, Cyber Monday and Boxing Day, with the figures taking the total amount spent using BNPL in 2023 to £16.8bn.
A total of £11.2bn was spent throughout the whole of December, up 1.5% compared to last year.
The most popular products bought across Christmas included cookware sets and small kitchen appliances, personal care products and jewellery.
Adobe Digital Insights lead analyst Vivek Pandya said: “After a slow start to 2023 from an online spending perspective, our data shows spend accelerating towards the end of the year, peaking over the holiday period to end the year on a high.
“Overall, online spending grew by 3.7% in 2023 compared with 2022, but much of this growth is propped up by deep discounting from retailers and growth in the use of Buy Now Pay Later services showing consumers are still keeping a close eye on their finances.”
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Shoppers spent £111.2bn online during the whole of 2023, a 1.3% decrease compared to 2022.
Pandya added: “Amidst evolving shopping habits, the 2023 data reflects a shift in consumer behaviour.
“While overall online spending saw a marginal decline of 1.3% year-over-year, we also saw a 12.8% increase in UK shoppers utilising Buy Now Pay Later services, amounting to £16.8bn in 2023.”
He continued: “This highlights the growing adoption of Buy Now Pay Later, as consumers seek out flexible payment methods.”
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