***Strictly Embargoed Until 00.01 8th December 2008***
As the consumer spending slump continues to hit the high street hard - forcing the greatest number of pre-Christmas sales in history - some retailers are predicting their Christmas sales figures to defy trading woes.

Despite the economic downturn, ONLINE shoppers are set to splash more cash than ever before on Monday – with some retailers predicting it will be the busiest day ever for internet purchases. In the run-up to Christmas Day, Mondays are traditionally always the busiest for web buying and December 8 is set to see sales soar by 25% in 2008.

With more people feeling the effects of the credit crunch, online sales for DVDs, CDs, games, and books are expected to see the biggest growth as staying in becomes the new going out.

At peak trading hours, online retailer Play.com is expecting to process an average of 850 orders per minute compared with 700 at the same time in 2007. The retailer also expects to ship over 500,000 units on Monday, representing 310 tonnes of goods that will include books, DVDS, CDs and video games.

For further information, please contact:
angelique.coueraud@tvcgroup.com