Online shoppers splashed out yesterday, in what is almost certain to be the busiest shopping day of 2010 so far.
It is thought that some £537 million was spent online yesterday. The day has come to be known as Mega Monday, and is traditionally busy for online retailers in both Europe and the United States.
Figures compiled by Kelkoo and the Centre for Online Research suggest that the day’s takings were up some 29 per cent when compared with the same day last year.
Respondents to the survey indicated that they would do more than one-fifth of their Christmas spending online this year, underlining the increasing importance of the online sphere to retailers and the economy.
But there is concern that the splash seen on ‘Mega Monday’ may not be sustained. Many small businesses fear that they will endure a slow Christmas, with one in ten business owners suggesting the Christmas period will be “make or break” for their venture.
Across the board, less than 20 per cent of firms questioned in a survey by Aviva said they are expecting good sales over the festive period.
