People looking to get the most out of the January sales have been researching their purchases online, it has been suggested.

According to the Daily Telegraph, visits to retail websites surged by 32 per cent between Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, with many shoppers hoping to get a head start on their new year purchases.

Robin Goad, research director at Experian Hitwise, said: "People are just looking to get the bargains as quickly as they can. If that means going online on Christmas Day to research, that is what they do."

Figures from the organisation revealed eBay and Amazon continued to be the most frequented online shopping sites, although big high street shops also proved popular, with Next, Marks & Spencer and Top Shop all receiving an increase in visitors on Christmas Day.

Earlier this month, the Interactive Media in Retail Group said that online sales growth has been impressive in the fourth quarter of 2010, exhibiting a year-on-year increase of 22 per cent across October and November.
 

Author:  Adrian Medland