Badweather

According to the latest statistics from online marketing expert, TradeDoubler, European consumers have scrapped their traditional outdoor summer activities this year in favour of shopping on the Internet. The bad weather in August has caused families to ditch mandatory trips to the summer high street sales, the beach or theme parks, for online shopping, gaming and entertainment.

UK families in particular appear to be abandoning their usual summer pursuits in preference to surfing the world-wide-web for the hottest holiday bargains and the quirkiest entertainment to keep the kids occupied throughout the summer. Whilst traditional high-street retailers in towns and shopping centres have suffered this summer, seeing a year-on-year increase in sales of between 0 and 1 per cent, online sales have soared!

The growth in popularity of online shopping is supported by recent figures published by Nielson/Netratings, which show that at-home Internet users across 12 countries worldwide have increased by more than 2.8 million from June to July 2004. TradeDoubler has seen European online sales volumes increase by 170 per cent from last summer, with sales in entertainment products increasing by 12 per cent in August alone.

TradeDoubler’s Chief Marketing Officer, Will Cooper, commented: “UK consumers continue to enjoy shopping online, and this year's disappointing summer weather seems to have driven more of them indoors to take advantage of the summer sales whilst escaping the summer showers.”

 

 

About TradeDoubler

Founded in 1999, TradeDoubler is the European leader in providing online marketing and sales solutions. Industry leaders all over Europe have partnered with TradeDoubler to work with performance-based marketing and to manage online relationships, in order to increase sales and improve online business. TradeDoubler is headquartered in Sweden with a presence in 15 other markets, and customers include Apple, Dell, John Lewis, Air France and Kelkoo. Please visit www.tradedoubler.com for further information.

 

Editorial Contacts

Bite Communications
Verity Jukes
T: +44 (0) 208 834 3448
E: verity.jukes@bitepr.com