Shop Direct predicts bumper mobile Christmas
Shop Direct, the owner of Very.co.uk, Littlewoods.com and isme.com, is now forecasting that its sales via mobile devices will exceed expectations this Christmas after traffic to its sites from smartphones and tablets topped 50%.
In the six weeks to 7 December, mobile visits to Shop Direct’s six digital department store websites outstripped desktop for the first time, averaging 50.4%. During the period, there was a 120% increase in visits from tablets and a 105.2% rise in traffic from smartphones compared to the same period last year.
Shop Direct’s six transactional sites received a daily average of 1.3 million visits during the six week period which was a 23% increase on last year. The number of orders made on mobile devices surged by 97%, while the value of mobile orders jumped by 91.6%.
Gareth Jones, group retail and strategy director at Shop Direct, said: “We knew that this Christmas would be massive for mobile but all signs indicate that it’s going to smash our early expectations.
Never Miss a Retail Update!“To have topped 50% of traffic from mobile before we got into the peak weeks of December highlights the increasing power of these devices and of shoppers in dictating the retail agenda. We haven’t actively pushed customers onto mobile – they’ve adopted these devices willingly for their convenience and ease of use.”
Jones said that the biggest growth in mobile traffic occurred between 6.00am and 12.00pm, with many customers using on their mobile devices on their way into work in the morning to browse, compare and share products with their friends. Shop Direct found that most customers opted to visit the sites in the afternoons and evenings when making a transaction.
Jones added: “Of course, Black Friday played a significant part in the mobile growth we’ve seen over recent weeks, as customers checked back on their mobile devices throughout the day for new deals. But traffic levels are showing no sign of slowing, which is particularly pleasing.
“Where this goes next Christmas, with wearable technology and other new innovations coming down the track, will be fascinating to see.”
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