Pounds 5bn Spent Online at Xmas

Shoppers snapping up gifts over the internet are likely to help drive online sales to pounds 5bn this Christmas. Despite the wider retail sector remaining stuck in the doldrums, the amount spent online in November and December will far outstrip last year’s pounds 3.5bn. The research for Royal Mail, carried out by the Interactive Media in Retail Group (IMRG), showed consumers were more confident in using the internet for their shopping. About half of the UK population shopped online last Christmas, the study showed. James Roper, the IMRG’s chief executive, said: ‘Online shopping has continued to grow at a phenomenal rate and we believe it will account for 9 per cent of all retail sales in the UK through November and December 2005.’ Royal Mail has also released a guide to help retailers cash in on online spending.