Apple’s website is now the second most visited online store in the UK, behind Amazon, according to new research.
The IMRG Experian Hot Shops lists found that UK-based surfers to the Apple website increased five-fold between August and October with Apple accounting for one in every 250 visits online in October 2011.
So popular was Apple’s site that it displaced Argos from the top two for the first time since the Hot Shops list was started in 2006. Amazon UK and Argos have dominated the list since its inception but Apple’s climb from eighth to second upset the status quo.
“The sad passing of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs not only had an effect on visits to the Apple website but also helped raised awareness of pancreatic cancer, with a seven-fold increase in searches after his death,” said James Murray, Marketing and Research Analyst for Experian Hitwise UK.
“As well as Jobs’ death, the launch of the new iPhone 4S pushed UK Internet traffic to its highest ever levels for Apple with over 14 million visits in October 2011,” he continued.
After Amazon, Apple and Argos (pleasing placed in alphabetical order, if you like that sort of thing) came Tesco and Next. In sixth place was M&S, followed by Play.com, Amazon.com, John Lewis and Tesco Direct.
Tina Spooner, Chief Information Officer at IMRG, said: “While the passing of Steve Jobs will undoubtedly have increased traffic levels to the Apple site, the sheer popularity of tablet devices such as the iPad is also a key factor.
“Amazon is expecting their Kindle to be one of their biggest sellers this Christmas, and it will be fascinating to see just how influential tablets become for consumers. IMRG are estimating that £3.72bn will be spent online during the peak activity weeks commencing 28th November and 5th December and, judging by the high risers in the Hot Shops list, fashion retailers could be the big performers this Christmas,” she continued.
Despite the increasing consumer interest in gadgets and technology, the fashion sector is also witnessing an increase in web traffic. Fears that consumer interest in winter garments remains low due to unseasonably warm weather have proved unfounded as fashion retailer Very.co.uk jumped 19 places while H&M jumped 15, rising in the rankings to 22nd and 43rd place respectively.
Asos.com came 12th and jumped seven places, New Look’s ranking improved by three places to 13th, while Topshop leaped five places to 15th.
Ticketmaster saw one of the biggest improvements of the quarter, up 16 places in the Hot Shops list to stand at 20th position after seeing a 37 per cent increase in traffic thanks partly to reunions of bands Steps and the Stone Roses.
Shopping for children remains popular and Toys R Us jumped 15 places to 48th as traffic increased due to increasing interest in Lego and Peppa Pig.
Top 10 UK Hot Shops online retailers
1. Amazon UK
2. Apple
3. Argos
4. Tesco
5. Next
6. M&S
7. Play.com
8. Amazon.com
9. John Lewis
10. Tesco Direct
Source: www.imrg.org
