Slow economic times has sent newly price sensitive shoppers in Britain flocking to online comparison and rating sites, according to online ratings firm Hitwise.
Over the past 12 months, the number British people that have visited sites in Hitwise’s Rewards and Directories category, which is mostly comprised of price comparison engines, affiliates and voucher sites, has shot up 36%.
That spike in visitors is translating into increased traffic for online retailers. According to Hitwise, almost half of the downstream traffic from Rewards and Directories sites goes to online retailers, with department store and appliances and electronics sites the biggest winners.
Fashion is apparently already on people’s minds as the economy fades – a bit of therapy shopping never goes astray – with visitors to fashion sites up 60% over the past 12 months.
Read more on Hitwise and shopping online
