Christmas is coming, the e-tailer's getting fat...

Please put a penny in the dot-com's hat...

E-tailers look set to enjoy a bumper Christmas this year as online sales soar. The IMRG e-Retail index shows UK online sales hit £500m last month. This is up 20 per cent on the figure for October and represents a 135.5 per cent increase on last year. One reason given for the e-tail boom is that shoppers are increasingly realising how convenient shopping on the web can be, and there is also the added bonus of anonymity. Consultancy firm Conchango spoke to 100 online shoppers and found two-thirds are using the web to buy intimate items they're too embarrassed to purchase on the high street. According to the survey, lingerie, condoms and sex toys cause the most embarrassment. For our critique of e-tailer readiness for Christmas, click here http://www.silicon.com/a49940