UK retailers are missing out on prime sales opportunities in the run-up to Christmas, according to VoucherCodes.com.

The company’s analysis of consumer shopping patterns online has pinpointed Mondays at 9.16pm as the time when online shoppers are most actively accessing the internet to make online purchases. In fact, overall, VoucherCodes.com experiences 45% more traffic on Monday evenings compared to Fridays and the rest of the weekend.

Despite this, however, most retailers release their best voucher offers on Friday afternoons, with the aim of boosting weekend sales figures.

“Online shoppers like to make their purchases at the start of the week,” says James Carter, founder and managing director of VoucherCodes.com. “Retailers that continue to hold on to voucher offers until Friday afternoons are missing out on the bulk of online shoppers, who avoid the internet during the weekend in favour of other leisure activities.”

“The bulk of online shoppers will complete transactions during the week,” he added. “Holding on to voucher codes means retailers have the potential to lose 45% of all possible sales due to a drop in traffic. It’s a bit like offering a great discount when the high street is closed!”

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