Tablet Use Doubles Over Christmas

Tablet use over Christmas Day and Boxing Day 2011 doubled compared with 2010, with 8 per cent of consumers now using Tablets as their main means of going online, according to the annual Christmas activity survey from eDigitalResearch and IMRG.

The study also saw record numbers of consumers visiting social media sites over the two days, with 45 per cent of online users logging into their accounts, up from 20.8 per cent last year. The survey also saw a 1 per cent rise in the number going online, with 86 per cent of all UK consumers now logging on over the two days.

“Looking at the results, we can see that the internet is now a crucial part of everyday consumer life,” says Derek Eccleston, head of research at eDigitalResearch. “Many see logging on during Christmas and Boxing Day as the norm, especially when trying out new gadgets and Christmas gifts. The rise in tablet use and social media sites is an indication for retailers of what’s to come in 2012, and it’s important to optimise shopping and browsing use across all available channels in order to boost income and customer loyalty.”

The survey also found that more and more people used the internet, as well as their smartphones, for their Christmas shopping this year. 71 per cent of consumers bought some of their gifts online, up 1.3 per cent on last year, while 50 per cent of all  consumers now say that they do the majority of their Christmas shopping online. 18 per cent of smartphone owners did up to half of their Christmas shopping online, with almost 30 per cent saying that they did up to 50 per cent of their pre-purchase research on their mobile device.

“iPads and Kindles were among the most wished-for gifts this Christmas, and their popularity as a means for accessing the web is booming,” says Andrew McClelland, chief operations & policy officer at IMRG. “The phenomenal popularity of social media is also continuing to grow at a remarkable rate, with over double the amount of people logging onto them over Christmas Day and Boxing Day compared with 2010. Social networks and tablets need to be considered as a key part of any retailer’s marketing strategy, as the opportunities for consumer engagement through these channels are becoming very apparent.”

The annual Christmas Day and Boxing Day activity survey of 2,000 consumers was conducted between the 28 and 30 December 2011, using a nationally representative sample from a consumer omnibus panel.