Brits lead the way in e-shopping

9 Billion Euros! That is how much European shoppers will spend on their online Christmas shopping this year. Amazingly, that's almost as much as US consumers according to a report from Forrester Research.

"This Christmas season, Europe's 166 million regular online shoppers will spend 9 billion euros online - 24% of total online retail for 2003 - compared with 12 billion dollars in the US." said Forrester Analyst Hellen K. Omwando.

So, apparently, Europe is nearly as comfortable with internet shopping as the US - or is it? Apparently, only two countries make up a massive two-thirds of all online Christmas sales in Europe.

"40% of Europeans shop online, but, with higher internet shopper penetration than even the US and with consumers who spend more per online basket than other Europeans, the UK will ring in 3.2 billion euros (2.2 billion pounds) in holiday sales, 36% of Europe's total online Christmas sales for 2003. Germany follows with 27% or 2.4 billion euros."

So the UK is accepting the reliability and the convenience of shopping online. But what are our online consumers spending their cash on this Christmas?

Well, according to Forrester, travel will continue to bring in the most money as Brits take advantage of cheap flights to visit relatives or escape the cold winter. Books also remain a very strong online product, and understandably so: with plenty of discounts on all the bestsellers they are quite simply cheaper online. The same is true of CDs, another product popular with online consumers.

But while low prices are a great advantage, the single most seductive factor of the internet plainly lies in the convenience - no mad scrambling through those unbearable Christmas crowds!

So, sit back and relax. Christmas is sorted in a few clicks.