UK's Christmas online sales sluggish

Christmas sales in the UK are expected to increase by 1% - less than a third of last year's growth, a new report has predicted, writes Yorkshire Post.

Internet retailing is set to play a crucial role in 'propping up' retail growth over the festive season, research by online shopping comparison Web site Kelkoo shows.

Christmas sales are expected to rise by 1%, or £680 million, to £69.09 billion, compared with an increase of 3.2% last year, says the report.

The figures suggest that the rate of growth in online sales will be half that seen last Christmas, when they rose by 32% compared with a year earlier, says Parcel2Go.com.

Chris Simpson, chief marketing officer at Kelkoo, says: “Online spending is showing no signs of abating, and is mounting a real challenge to the dominance of the high street which, for third year running, is expected to see a decline.

“Internet sales across the UK are set to be more important than ever, with consumers spending record amounts online, and online commerce acting as the primary driving force for overall retail growth during the festive season.”

Meanwhile, Wales Online.co.uk reports that retailers in Wales could disappear if 'critical' Christmas trade does not live up to expectations, a business expert has warned.

David Rosser, Wales director of the Confederation of British Industry, made the stark prediction as figures suggested growth would be more sluggish than last year.