Christmas is only a click away...

Following on from my previous Christmas-themed blog, I had a bit of time on my hands at one point during work experience last week and decided to have a go at a feature, including some interesting facts about our shopping habits during the festive period… 

While the traditionalists amongst us may view the hustle and bustle of the high street as synonymous with Christmas as turkey and tinsel, this year more than ever we are favouring our laptops over the queues and turning to online shopping to purchase our presents.

The rise in internet shopping, especially during the festive period, has expanded considerably over the last few years.

In 2012, online trade bolstered the overall Christmas sales revenue by 1.5 per cent, a one per cent rise on the previous year, and it is estimated that this Christmas in Britain alone we will do £5 billion worth of our festive shopping online.

As a nation we are growing ever more impatient and the quick and instant nature of the internet provides us with everything we need during what is renowned as the busiest time of the year.

Fast and easy shopping, all with a couple of clicks of the mouse. No queues, no fuss, and no fighting over the last Soap and Glory box set in Boots.

There are simple enough reasons as to why we’re staying away from the high streets, with online stores offering us the ease of purchasing goods in not only a quick and easy fashion, but relieving us of the painstaking Christmas queues which a lot of us nowadays simply don't have the time for.

Shopping online is also in some instances the cheaper option, with online retailers like Amazon offering free delivery and many stores using incentives such as free click and collect services when you spend over a certain amount.

Image: zmags.com

With smartphones and tablets on the rise too, purchasing goods via the internet has never been easier.

Adobe's Online Shopping Forecast estimates that 12.4 per cent of total online sales this Christmas in Europe will be made from mobile devices, equating to a massive 68 per cent increase compared to last year.

Although online shopping during the Christmas period poses bigger problems that usual with fraud and items not being delivered on time, many consumers are still favouring taking these risks over going out and physically buying their gifts.

However, retail stores are in no way the losers during the festive season. It is estimated that £40.3 billion will be spent in-store over Christmas, as forecast by Deloitte.

But the alternative in online shopping is becoming increasingly popular and the rise in purchasing Christmas gifts over the internet is expected to keep on growing, with the current increase at 19 per cent year-on-year. This also means many stores won't reach their sales targets, as more people shun their stores in favour of the internet.

And it is predicted to continue after Christmas Day, with Boxing Day estimated to be the single biggest online shopping day of 2013.

Whether we choose to flock to the high streets or purchase from the comfort of our own home, our Christmas spending is once again booming, and more of us are favouring making at least some of our festive purchases via a couple of clicks of the mouse, rather than spending a couple of hours in the shopping centre madness.

Christmas Kindness

I decided to give my blog a bit of a festive touch as we draw ever closer towards Christmas. Here are my thoughts on a true act of human kindness this festive season that brought a little tear to my eye... 

It's known as the season of goodwill, but with all the turkey buying, present wrapping and hectic last minute shopping, many of us simply fail to make time for ourselves and for other people – especially those we don't know.

Across the pond, however, a Canadian airline decided to remind us all of the true meaning of Christmas, by bringing festive joy – and a few tears – to hundreds of unsuspecting passengers on two of their flights.

Last week, a video went viral when the airline WestJet surprised passengers with gifts and presents in an act of overwhelming generosity.

Over 30 million people and counting have so far viewed the heart-warming video, dubbed the ‘Christmas Miracle,’ which showed over 150 staff rush off to complete their Santa duties for 250 of their passengers.

After the holiday-makers checked in at Toronto’s Pearson and Hamilton airports for flights to Calgary, they were greeted by a virtual Father Christmas after scanning their boarding passes, who asked them, what they wanted for Christmas most of all.

Unbeknown to them, it wasn’t just a festive gimmick: they were actually going to receive the gifts they’d requested, and as soon as the passengers boarded their flights it was then a race against time for the WestJet employees to hunt down big screen TVs, flights home for the holidays and underwear.

Like Santa’s elves they wrapped all the presents and ran them over to baggage reclaim, where stunned passengers were greeted with more than just their luggage.

Not only was it an extremely clever marketing and PR stunt for WestJet, but it highlighted the true meaning of Christmas for the unsuspecting passengers and the millions of people from all over the world who have viewed the video online.

Upon viewing the video myself I had to wipe away a few tears; seeing people overjoyed at receiving presents they so desperately needed like flights home for Christmas was so overwhelming and truly special to see.

This touching act of kindness goes to show that whoever we are, we can make someone's Christmas with one simple act of generosity.