Nearly 90 per cent of consumers will buy Christmas presents online this year, and almost two-thirds will do half or more of their shopping on the web, according to a survey.

Time-saving was cited as the main driver for purchasing goods online, along with convenience and cost saving.

Retailers need to understand online consumer spending habits in order to maximize profits, says the study by eDigitalResearch.

“Online retailers need to ensure product pages are structured, items are where shoppers expect and that there is an abundance of good free search text tools to ensure that consumers have as easy and pleasant an experience as possible,” said eDigitalResearch director Michelle Fuller.

Only eight per cent of respondents cited lack of trust as a reason for not purchasing online, a two per cent fall from last year.

Multi-product websites such as Amazon, Play.com, Argos, and John Lewis are expected to make the biggest gains.