Retailers to see significant boost from online holiday sales
As the economy continues to improve, consumers are slowly regaining confidence in conditions. For this reason, this year's holiday retail sales are expected to surpass last year's totals. However, recent research has found that shoppers will be taking to retail websites and other resources in larger numbers than ever to purchase items and gifts over the next few months.
According to Internet Retailer, a report from Deloitte LLP found that non-store holiday sales will increase by 15 to 17 percent from last year. Approximately three-quarters of the total will be from retail sites, and the remaining 25 percent will represent catalogs and television retailers. Internet sales will reach $54.47 billion for the 2012 holiday season, a significant increase from the $46.63 billion that was spent online last year.
"Non-store sales continue to outpace overall growth, but increasingly influence consumers' experience with the retail store, from trip planning, to in-store product research, and post-purchase reviews and sharing," says Alison Paul, vice chairman of Deloitte LLP. "This holiday season, retailers' most lucrative customers may be the ones they engage across physical and virtual storefronts."
Overall holiday retail sales will see a 4.1 percent jump from last year, for a total of $586.1 billion, according to a report from the National Retail Federation.
