The top retail categories for the Christmas period were women's and teenagers' clothing, followed by electronic games, mobile and electronic devices and Harry Potter merchandise. Nearly £5bn was spent during the Christmas period.
The survey of AOL member shopping revealed that women make up the majority of online shoppers, accounting for 64% of all transactions. This statistic parallels retailing in the real world.
AOL says that 79% of its members have made purchases online in the last six months. It also claims that uptake of its online shopping services, such as "wallets", which save users' purchasing information and preferences to make shopping quicker, and its "deal of the day" have also been strong.
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