圣诞在即 英国人热衷网购

Almost 5 million Britons are expected to go online on Christmas Day and spend over 150 million pounds ($232 million) as they look to grab bargains and beat a rise in January in VAT sales tax, a retail group said on Thursday.

IMRG, the industry body for Internet retailers, is predicting that 4.8 million shoppers would hit their computers on December 25 and spend a record 153 million pounds.

The estimate is backed up by payments company Visa Europe, which expects 960,000 transactions worth 36 million pounds will be made on Visa cards on Christmas Day. Visa transactions account for over 1 pound in every 4 pounds spent.

Online sales surged an average 22.5 percent year-on-year in October and December and although deliveries have been disrupted by recent adverse weather conditions IMRG is confident shoppers will not have been put off.

"Christmas Day has become a busy online shopping day in recent years as people with an eye for value look to take advantage of the 24/7 nature of online retail," said IMRG's managing director David Smith.

"With many people not being able to get out to the high street sales due to the wide-ranging impact of the snow, online could see a real boost over the next few weeks."

IMRG forecast that sales of expensive items, like furniture and electrical goods, could get a boost ahead of an increase in VAT sales tax in early January.

Separately Tesco, Britain's biggest retailer, has announced a sale of home and kitchen products on its website ahead of similar offers in stores from December 26.

The supermarket group said the discounts would be on hundreds of items including duvets and furniture, and were worth around 195 million pounds.

"Christmas Eve and even Christmas Day will be two of Tesco's busiest online shopping days this year," said commercial and marketing director Richard Brasher, adding Tesco was freezing VAT on all non-food products in its seasonal sale until January 25.

某零售业集团本周四称，今年圣诞节预计将有近500万英国人网上购物，消费金额将超过1.5亿英镑（合2.32亿美元）。一方面是为了抢购打折商品，另一方面也是想躲过明年一月份增值税的上调。

网络零售产业机构英国互动媒体零售集团（IMRG）预测称，12月25日将有480万英国人网上购物，消费金额将高达创纪录的1.53亿英镑。

支付公司维萨欧洲证实了上述预期。据维萨欧洲预测，消费者在圣诞节将通过维萨卡进行96万笔网购，消费金额高达3600万英镑。在每4英镑的交易中，就有超过1英镑是通过维萨卡进行的。

今年10月份和12月份，英国网购销量同比平均上涨了22.5%。尽管近期的恶劣天气影响了货品递送，但IMRG坚信消费者并未失去热情。

IMRG总经理大卫•史密斯说：“圣诞节近年来已经成为忙碌的网购日，看中商品价值的消费者力图充分利用网络零售的全天候特性。”

“由于受到大范围降雪影响，很多人无法出门逛街，因此在接下来的几周内，网购量将有明显增加。”

IMRG预测称，在明年一月初增值税上调之前，家具、电器等高价商品的销量会有所上涨。

另外，英国最大的零售商特易购宣布，公司网店将先于实体店推出家居用品和厨具的促销活动，而实体店的类似促销将在节后的12月26日开始。

该超市集团称，此次促销涉及羽绒被和家具等数百种商品，价值约1.95亿英镑。

商贸及市场总监理查德•布拉舍尔说：“平安夜和圣诞节将成为特易购今年网购销量最大的两天。”他还补充说，在明年1月25日前的旺季促销中，特易购所销售的所有非食品类商品的增值税将不予上调。

Vocabulary:

VAT: 增值税，Value-Added Tax的缩写

high street: 大街，城镇的主要街道