By Derek Eccleston

The results also saw record numbers of consumers visiting social media sites over the two days, with just under half (45%) of online users logging into their accounts, up from 20.8% last year.

The annual Christmas activity survey also saw a 1% rise in the number going online with 86% of all UK consumers now logging on over the two days.

Looking at the results, we can see that the internet is now a crucial part of everyday consumer life. Many see logging on during Christmas and Boxing Day as the norm, especially when trying out new gadgets and Christmas gifts. The rise in tablet use and social media sites is an indication for retailers of what’s to come in 2012 and it’s important to optimise shopping and browsing use across all available channels in order to boost income and customer loyalty.

The survey also found that more and more people used the internet, as well as their smartphones, for their Christmas shopping this year. 71% of consumers purchased some of their gifts online, up 1.3% on last year’s figures, whilst half (50%) of all consumers now say that they do the majority of their Christmas shopping online. 18% of smartphone owners did up to half of their Christmas shopping online, with almost 30% saying that they did up to 50% of their pre-purchase research on their mobile device.

This year, shoppers saw big discounts on the high street and online before Christmas day itself, as retailers attempted to get consumers spending again. Of the 2,000 surveyed, 66% of shoppers said that their gift purchasing decisions were influenced by the sales, whilst 29% were encouraged to buy more than they were originally planning.

Andrew McClelland, Chief Operations & Policy Officer at IMRG, commented, “iPads and Kindles were among the most wished-for gifts this Christmas and their popularity as a means for accessing the web is booming. The phenomenal popularity of social media is also continuing to grow at a remarkable rate, with over double the amount of people logging onto them over Christmas Day and Boxing Day compared with 2010. Social networks and tablets need to be considered as a key part of any retailer’s marketing strategy, as the opportunities for consumer engagement through these channels are becoming very apparent.”

Methodology

The annual Christmas Day and Boxing Day activity survey of 2,000 consumers was conducted between the 28th and 30th December 2011 using a nationally representative sample from a consumer omnibus panel.

About the author and eDigitalResearch

Derek Eccleston is Research Director at eDigitalResearch, a research specialist with expertise in online business. The company can give multichannel insights and informed directions to companies, using information from surveys, panels and communities, combined to provide holistic insight to make crucial decisions on product range, marketing, customer service, supply chain and even basic positioning.