It’s almost Xmas time, the time, when traditionally wallets are opened and emptied with more abandon than usual. In there tight financial times, however, and with slim prospects of a juicy bonus, the stress can become unbearable.

Consumers need to be smarter about their purchasing behaviour and that means turning to the web where there are more options, more information and fiercer competition.
As High Street retailers start to feel the pinch, online retail sales are set to rise to a staggering £13.16 billion in the last quarter of 2008. This is a 15% rise year-on-year, according to the IMRG Capgemini e-Retail Sales Index.

This calculation equates to £215 spent online by each person in the UK. Specifically, the online sales of clothing and footwear are expected to rise 25% each year to £1.27 million with the sale of beer, wine and spirits set to rise to £233 million.