Sales, sales, sales!  The Christmas period is a big revenue source for many retailers  - and the big discounts on offer will always be attractive.

So who did the best this season – traditional bricks & mortar shops or their online competitors?

Well, the High Street retailers saw a 2.2% decline in sales over the Christmas period whereas online showed an impressive 19.2% increase in comparison to 2012.  The figures show the rapid rate at which online shopping is growing, year-on-year.  But why is it growing so quickly?

Increase in mobile usage

One reason for this growth is down to the accessibility of websites by smartphones or tablets. The web is more accessible than ever before and with over half of the UK population owning a smartphone or tablet (or have access to one) mobile usage is growing fast. Making shopping more convenient increases the impulse factor, which has a huge effect for online retailers.  Put simply, the opportunity for consumers to purchase an item on their mobile with a click of a button is highly appealing.

Bad weather

Another reason for the continued growth in online retail is due to the bad weather over the Christmas and the New Year period.  Wind and rain attacked many areas of the country, disrupting travel plans and keeping people at home.  The knock-on effect was to see a drop in footfall in the shops during what is usually one of their busiest times of year.

We all know that the sales are a battle as it is let alone trying to fight against wind and rain, but when the weather gets particularly bad online shopping becomes very attractive. The appeal of being able to browse, order and pay in comfort and having your goods delivered within a couple of days – or even quicker if you want - helped online sales to increase.

Time/Convenience

Time and convenience are major factors for the growth in online shopping.  Although shops open longer and on more days than ever before, people are not necessarily able to get to them during opening hours.  Online is open and ready to take your order 24/7, and this allows people to combine their shopping with other tasks, helping them get more done in a day.

So, even though we know that online sales are always increasing, these 3 factors really propelled the growth over Christmas, and will do even more in the future to come.