Prepare websites for 'light shoppers' this Christmas

A British e-commerce consultancy is urging e-tailers to optimise their websites in readiness for the up-coming Christmas shopping season.

by Helen Leggatt

Not only is Logan Tod & Co. urging e-tailers to ready their sites for the not-so-distant Christmas shopping season, but they are also advising ways in which to attract “light shoppers”, the fastest-growing online audience this year.

According to Logan Tod & Co.’s findings, this particular audience is set to increase online spend this year by 57 percent. That’s a much larger increase than for the heavy shopper segment which is set to rise 28 percent.

Light shoppers are predominantly in the over-50’s age group and spend less than a quarter of their Christmas shopping spend online.

Instead of product comparisons and gift finders, light shoppers prefer a website that is easy to navigate, contains well-written copy, high-quality images and has good search functionality.

Matthew Tod, CEO of Logan Tod & Co., warns marketers to focus their websites on the growing online audience. “Get your basics up to scratch,” he said, “or risk losing the older, more affluent online shoppers this Christmas.”

Earlier this year, Logan Tod & Co. predicted that Christmas online retail sales in the U.K. would reach just over $20 billion.