SmallBusinessNewz

I would have thought that online shopping would peak on Cyber Monday or Black Friday, but it was actually a Sunday - November 30th, that the most people got online and shopped, at least in the UK. This information comes from Hitwise who has provided data about UK Internet traffic to shopping and classifieds sites:

Well the year's not over yet right? What about last-minute holiday shopping? What about post-holiday shopping. Sure people will have plenty to do once they get their gift cards and cash from loved ones.

"This peak may seem early, but in fact a similar thing happened last year, when UK Internet visits to Shopping and Classifieds websites reached their highest pre-Christmas level on November 25th 2007," explains Robin Goad of Hitwise. "However, the overall peak in visits to online retailers last holiday season actually occurred after Christmas, on Boxing Day. Given the economic conditions and British consumers’ hunger for bargains and discounts, it seems likely that the post Christmas period will be even more important this year."

We'll see over the course of the rest of the month whether traffic has actually peaked for the year, or if the largest amount of customers is yet to come. Judging from last year, businesses would do well to prepare for a surge in traffic for after the holidays. If you missed the boat on getting ready for Cyber Monday and all of that jazz, you may at least still have a chance to attract some of the next wave of online shoppers.

While this data is all based on UK statistics, it doesn't really matter where you are operating from. You should be prepared regardless. The numbers aren't really what's important here. The assumption that customers will be looking to shop online (and off for that matter) right after the holidays is what you should consider.