broadband news

‘Mega Monday’ for Christmas shoppers on broadband

In the realm of internet shopping, the second Monday in December is expected to mean ‘big bucks’ for broadband traders. It’s the day when many shoppers realise that yes, Christmas is looming, and many have a sneaky shop on broadband instead of knuckling down to work.

Speaking to the Guardian, James Roper, chief executive of internet trade body IMRG, predicted broadband sales will take off today between 12 noon and 2pm, with a second peak between 6pm and 9pm. He said: “I think it is going to be really big this year as people are really researching their purchases.”

IMRG expects broadband sales to be up 15 per cent this year, potentially due to the evolution of broadband over the last 12 months. Price comparison sites such as Kelkoo are booming, with cash-strapped consumers thoroughly researching prices before they buy. Broadband sites expected to perform particularly well today are Amazon and Play.com. Both sites are popular for books, CDs and DVDs and create fierce competition for high-street retailers.

The managing director and co-founder of Play.com, Simon Perrée, told the Guardian his website was outperforming in a tough sales climate. During peak broadband trading hours on ‘Mega Monday’ Play.com expects to process close to 1,000 orders per minute compared with 700 this time last year.

However, despite the number of people using broadband to plump up their Christmas stockings, broadband shopping still accounts for just a small percentage of overall retail sales - an estimated four per cent of what is a rather lucrative £265bn sector.

07/12/2008
Author: CompareBroadbandUK staff writer

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