Experian : Data driving the UK’s £5.8bn ‘Santa Economy’

London, UK; 20 November 2017: Data services are powering the online retail boom, helping UK businesses get their share of the 'Santa Economy' and ensuring they deliver a seamless shopping experience for customers during Black Friday weekend.

Last year, during Black Friday and Cyber Monday alone, Experian received over 24 million requests for contact information to be validated by their data quality systems.

At peak times, information verification searches were coming in at a rate of up to 500 requests per second, a figure which they expect to be surpassed by around 20% this year, as more and more of us seek out and order Christmas gifts online.

'Parcels, lorries and packed warehouses are the visible manifestations of these major retail events but it's data that underpins the massive logistical operation and makes it all possible', explained Rebecca Hennessy from Experian.

'Good quality data is an integral part of the Black Friday and Cyber Monday operation, and is the mechanism which enables orders to be taken, verified and distributed seamlessly.

'Businesses need to ensure a high level of data accuracy to successfully service today's huge numbers of online customers. Discount retail events are only going to grow in popularity and we expect to see over 28 million requests to validate contact data during this year's Black Friday weekend.

'The Santa Economy only runs for a short window and data accuracy can make or break the season.'

In 2016, Britons spent a record £5.8 billion, an increase of 15 per cent on the previous year[1].

Online retailers took approximately £2.8 billion of the total spend, as consumer purchasing habits continue to transition from the physical to the digital. Amazon alone sold more than 7.4 million items in the UK on Black Friday in 2015.

Rising rate of employment

Fuelled by online retailing growth and these annual discount events, data from Experian Economics and Market Intelligence predicts the employment rate in logistics is set to outpace the UK average this year. The sector has seen 130,000 jobs added since 2010, and now accounts for 1.8 million jobs in the UK, with the top 10 employment hotspots of the last five years revealed as:

1. Ribble Valley
2. Hammersmith & Fulham
3. Liverpool
4. Mid Sussex
5. Broxbourne
6. Ashford
7. Stoke-on-Trent
8. Basildon
9. Runnymede
10. Cherwell

-ENDS-

For more information please contact:
Experian's Joe Green on 01159922515 or joseph.green@experian.com.

About Experian:

Experian is the world's leading global information services company. During life's big moments - from buying a home or a car, to sending a child to college, to growing a business by connecting with new customers - we empower consumers and our clients to manage their data with confidence. We help individuals to take financial control and access financial services, businesses to make smarter decisions and thrive, lenders to lend more responsibly, and organisations to prevent identity fraud and crime.

We have 17,000 people operating across 37 countries and every day we're investing in new technologies, talented people and innovation to help all our clients maximise every opportunity. We are listed on the London Stock Exchange (EXPN) and are a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index. Learn more at www.experianplc.com or visit our global content hub at our global news blog for the latest news and insights from the company.

[1]Centre for Retail Research