Changes in Web Usage and Search Terms need Constant Monitoring 

The number of online shoppers from affluent backgrounds making purchases from ecommerce retailers rose over the Christmas period, new research has shown.

Data compiled by Experian Hitwise as part of the new Experian Mosaic 2009 user profiles showed that during the festive season, there was a noticeable increase in visitors to online stores that are more well off. The findings, which may help internet-based retailers plan their website promotion campaigns for next Christmas, revealed that for the majority of the year, people who purchased goods online came from the Ties of Community Experian Mosaic Group.

This segment of society is defined by the research firm as "people living in close-knit inner city and manufacturing town communities, responsible workers with unsophisticated taste".

During December, however, the Happy Families group emerged as the biggest buyer of goods online, which the firm said, are families that "focus on career and home" and are made up of mainly younger people that have started raising children.

Two other demographics - Symbols of Success and Suburban Comfort - also increased their online shopping in the run-up to Christmas, the research concluded. Experian also found the snow that hit the UK this month resulted in a surge in internet traffic to transport and weather websites.