Following the release of the British Retail Consortiums dismal December sales figures, DHL Express, a leader in international express services, has announced that its December business-to-consumer deliveries throughout the UK saw an increase of almost 60 per cent compared to December 2007.
DHL Express believes the notable increase in home deliveries over the festive period is a beneficial outcome that has resulted from increased online shopping activity over the festive season, coupled with significant growth in internet shopping overall.
Jonathan Smith, Managing Director DHL Express UK, said: The increase in the number of packages we delivered to UK homes this Christmas season indicates that despite the economic downturn, consumer confidence in online shopping remained robust during the peak festive period, with consumers continuing to take advantage of opportunities for savings by shopping online.
Smith continued: To respond to the growing B2C market and counter the effects of the B2B parcel delivery market, which is seeing some decline, weve evolved with the market and revolutionised our home delivery service. We recognised the need for a service that takes the hassle out of home delivery so we operate a flexible delivery model that enables home shoppers to receive their packages at a time that suits them.
Latest research undertaken by e-retailing industry body IMRG (Interactive Media in Retail Group) and Secure Trading, the UKs leading independent payment services provider, shows that in the Christmas run-up, online shopping was later, larger and longer than in 2007. It also found traffic to retail websites during the run-up to Christmas 2008 was higher than the 2007 level, but transaction volumes rose even more sharply up 9% in November and 28% in December.
James Roper, CEO at IMRG, says: Though the number of people shopping online on Christmas Day was 14% lower than in 2007, the volume of transactions was 26% higher, and the value rose by 21%, indicating that serious bargain hunting was the order of the day.
Add a Comment
No messages on this article yet