Shoppers flock online in search of festive bargains

THIS week will the busiest period for online shopping in 2011, as shoppers increasingly move from the high street and go online in search of Christmas bargains.

Research from Visa Europe shows Irish consumers are set to spend a total of €257 million online on gifts in the run-up to Christmas, with an average spend of €155 per shopper. The credit card company predicted yesterday would be the busiest online shopping day of the year.

Online retailer eBay.ie has plumped for today as the busiest day for online shopping, predicting that about 95,000 shoppers will visit the site, buying one gift every 10 seconds. This is compared to one gift every 20 seconds for the same day last year.