Irish net shoppers set to splash €55m on e-Christmas


19 Dec 2005

Irish consumers will spend an estimated €55m on buying gifts online, with one in five internet users planning to make a purchase from a website in the run up to Christmas, a new survey has found.

A quarter of a million people said they intend to shop online this Christmas, spending €216 on average. Men will spend more than women – €245 compared to €168 – according to the survey, which was carried out by Amárach Consulting on behalf of the Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg). Average spending was highest among the 45-64 age group, at €314.

The survey polled 1,000 adults aged between 15 and 74 in November. It also found that over the previous three months, Irish internet users had spent more than €300 on average. Some 43pc of the total said they had purchased goods or services online.

The most popular items by some margin were airline tickets (bought by 57pc of shoppers) followed by concert tickets (23pc), music (20pc), DVDs (17pc), package holidays and books (both 13pc). The list was rounded out by software (11pc), other travel (10pc), mobile top ups (5pc) and clothes (4pc).

Those with a broadband connection were almost twice as likely to shop over the internet than the entire total (39pc vs 20pc).

By Gordon Smith