Online retail traffic 'boosted by VAT change'

11:16 8th January 2010

Shoppers across the UK rushed to online retail sites to snap up deals before the rate of VAT returned to 17.5 per cent, new figures have revealed.

According to research by Hitwise, which could interest companies in Lancashire that use e-commerce facilities, the increase from 15 per cent on January 1st led many to enjoy last-minute visits to shopping websites.

Writing in the company's blog, research director Robin Goad said that a range of sectors benefitted from the trend.

"The biggest increase was in the house and garden sector, where retailers experienced a 67 per cent increase in traffic last week," he explained.

"Other sectors selling big ticket items also experienced above average increases, with the sport and fitness, computers and appliances and electronics categories all performing well."

The release of Hitwise's figures has come after a poll by Actinic revealed that small and medium-sized busiensses with an online retail presence reported an average 51 per cent increase in order volumes during November and December.

According to the survey, the companies also enjoyed a 42 per cent increase in revenue from 12 months earlier.

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