Strong web site performance contributes to bumper Christmas for etailers

Jan 12, 2010

UK etail web sites enjoyed strong availability and fast download speeds over the festive period, contributing significantly to Christmas sales growth in 2009, according to new figures from load testing and web site monitoring specialist, Site Confidence, an NCC Group plc company.

 

Research found that across Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day 2009, UK etailers recorded an average uptime of 99.88 per cent, representing an average downtime of just five minutes and 19 seconds. This was supported by a mean website download time of just 9.9 seconds – well below the sub 11 second target for large online retailers.

 

Data provided by Retail Decisions for IMRG revealed that Christmas Day 2009 sales were up 29 per cent on the previous year to £132m, with Boxing Day drawing sales of £281m. Consumer data from eDigital Research noted that 41.3 per cent of people predicted to spend more online next Christmas due to a positive online experience this year.

 

John Lewis was just one of the many winners in the online sales battle over the festive period. Having begun its clearance sale at 6.00pm on Christmas Eve, the company recorded a 23 per cent rise in online sales over the first three days, and, on Boxing Day, saw a record number of visitors to its site. The web site enjoyed 100 per cent availability on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day, according to Site Confidence.

 

Now, a number of commentators believe that consumers have become more aware of retailers beginning their sales earlier, and are using the Internet to claim the best bargains. Meanwhile, experts at Site Confidence have praised the UK’s etailers for their rigorous preparation ahead of the lucrative Christmas period and have urged all etailers to carefully consider web site capacity and performance to boost sales throughout 2010.

 

Bob Dowson, director at Site Confidence, said: “Competition at Christmas is fierce in the etail space, and companies know that their web sites are essential in gaining competitive advantage. Taking into account the early start for many sales, the VAT rate change and new late delivery functions, online purchases provided a number of benefits for consumers. Etailers responded accordingly; load testing their sites to ensure they could cope with the expected hike in web site visitors, while using web site monitoring to make sure that user experience remained unaffected by poor performance.

 

“However, 2010 is likely to continue to be tough on the high street so, for many retailers, their web sites will become increasingly important. In turn, etailers should not rest on their laurels and should look to maximise sales in the coming year by continuing to optimise their web sites, especially ahead of peak sales periods. Retail web site functionality issues affect a company’s revenue and reputation, and send its customers into the open arms of competitors which are only a click away.”