“We know that most people are only prepared to wait around 20 seconds for a webpage to load – and as consumers become more accustomed to the high-speed browsing experience they enjoy on their mobile devices over Wi-Fi or their carrier network, their patience threshold is only going to get lower. Retailers will not want to leave themselves open to potential customers ‘jumping ship’ to a rival site – especially at this critical time of year.
“The explosion in online retail traffic predicted in this report will provide retailers with a wealth of data that will both serve as proof of a genuine step-change in people’s shopping habits and demonstrate the quality of service provided by online retailers – as well as, crucially, consumer behaviour. Whether they do so in real-time or in the aftermath of the Christmas rush, retailers will have a priceless chance to gauge the readiness of their IT infrastructure for the changing face of the retail market. Many will find themselves to be up to scratch – but for those that do not, the New Year must represent a new start.”