Online Sales and Delivery Soar Before Christmas 2010

With last years high street sales plummeting, online Christmas purchasing is expected to grow to 16 percent in the 2010 festive season. Internet shoppers spent £5.46bn in December 2009 and as consumers begin to focus on convenience and price, courier services around the UK are noticing the benefits from online sales.

The Director of Information for IMRG, Tina Spooner, recognises the growing worries over the government plans from the public which is influencing the type of sales they are making: “Concerns over the impending government spending cuts, VAT (sales tax) increase and job security, together with falling average households' disposable income, are all contributing to driving this positive e-retail performance as consumers turn to online retailers to secure the best deals.”

Ebay is becoming increasingly popular for Christmas gifts as many of the products are unique and cheaper than purchasing them from the store. Also, different courier service rates are offered to the sellers on a range of items by online courier service providers such as, myParcelDelivery.com, helping customers to find a cheap parcel delivery rate. Internet users are becoming more aware of how to shop online and where to look, especially around Christmas.

Sales of gifts in September have jumped up 32 percent year-on-year as shoppers try to spread the cost of Christmas, finding some of the cheapest deals online. With this of course comes the price of parcel delivery; as more customers begin to extend their Christmas spending over the season, are courier companies catering for customers cheap parcel delivery needs?

It is suggested that buyers may need to research to find the most reliable and cheap courier for Christmas gift orders, especially coming up to the last weeks before the 25th. Same Day and Next Day delivery should be examined closely to check that it is guaranteed so there are no disappointments for last minute gifts. However, it has been anticipated that courier services were expected to become more reliable and customer orientated this year, so this coming Christmas, the delivery industry shall be aiming to achieve this.

Finding a courier service has become much easier with websites like MyParcelDelivery.com, which offers a price comparison between the leading courier companies such as DHL and TNT, offering instant quotes in one place. Having recently teamed up with eBay, myParcelDelivery.com is offering eBay sellers easier access to cheaper delivery rates all year round with access to a much wider geographical market.