Tablet use this Christmas Day and Boxing Day doubled compared with 2010, according to eDigitalResearch and IMRG. Their annual Christmas survey showed eight per cent of consumers now use these devices as their main means of getting online.

The results also saw record numbers of consumers visiting social media sites over the two days, with just under half (45 per cent) of online users logging into their accounts, up from 20.8 per cent last year. The annual Christmas activity survey also saw a one per cent rise in the number going online with 86 per cent of all UK online consumers now logging on over the two days.

Derek Eccleston, head of research at eDigitalResearch, explains: “Looking at the results, we can see that the internet is now a crucial part of everyday consumer life. Many see logging on during Christmas and Boxing Day as the norm, especially when trying out new gadgets and Christmas gifts."

The survey also found that more and more people used the internet, as well as their smartphones, for their Christmas shopping this year. Seventy-one per cent of consumers purchased some of their gifts online, up 1.3 per cent on last year’s figures, whilst half of all online consumers now say that they do the majority of their Christmas shopping online.

For the first time this year, shoppers saw discounts across the high street and online before Christmas day itself, as retailers attempted to get consumers spending again. Of the 2,000 surveyed, 66 per cent of shoppers said that their gift purchasing decisions were influenced by the sales, while 29 per cent were encouraged to buy more than they were originally planning.

Andrew McClelland, chief operations & policy officer at IMRG, says: “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.”

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