March 09 2007

Amazon and Argos remain top of the e-retail market

Hitwise and IMRG have updated their list of the top 50 online retailers. The Hot Shops List, based on January 2007 visitor figures, shows 4 new entrants, 22 risers, 21 fallers and 3 retailers retaining their position in the quarterly-produced ranking.

Amazon.co.uk topped the Hot Shops List, as ever, while Argos regained its usual second place. Tesco.com continued to climb, this time into third position, up from fourth in November and fifth in August 2006. Play.com slipped two places to the number 4 slot.

"Seasonality of the sector continues to affect the websites that gain and decline. January sales saw many retailers rise in the ranks, whilst the busy travel-booking season also propelled travel companies to the fore," said Heather Hopkins, VP of Research at Hitwise.

The fastest riser on the list was MyTravel UK, which leaped twenty-two places, from 34 to 12. Thomas Cook was up thirteen, to 17, and First Choice and Flybe.com both rose a dozen places, to 19 and 29, respectively.

Four new merchants made the February Hot Shops List. Odeon.co.uk jumped in for the first time, at 38, while Maplin Electronics (43) and Monarch Airlines (45) reappeared in the List, having dropped out in November. The other new brand was Ikea (49), which, as IR reported earlier this week, is running a pilot scheme in the Midlands.

James Roper, CEO of IMRG, comments: "It's good to see more mainstream retail brands such as Ikea appearing in the list. And yet, of the high street brands, only Argos and Tesco make it to the top - if you exclude travel retailers, Currys is the next to appear, down in 15 place. Ikea is one to watch, having popped into the list at 49, with no publicity at all, having just quietly initiated a trial transaction capability. 27 of this month's top 50 retailers have a bricks-and-mortar presence, up from 24 in November. And with retail supply still not keeping up with online consumer demand, there is plenty room for more."

1. Amazon UK 2. Argos 3. Tesco.com 4. Play.com 5. easyJet 6. Expedia.co.uk 7. Amazon.com 8. Thomson Holidays 9. British Airways 10. Apple Computer 11. RyanAir.com 12. MyTravel UK 13. lastminute.com 14. Dell EMEA 15. Currys 16. Marks & Spencer 17. Thomas Cook 18. Next 19. First Choice 20. Comet UK 21. TalkTalk 22. John Lewis Stores 23. PC World 24. Thomsonfly.com 25. Tesco Direct 26. HMV.co.uk 27. bmibaby 28. Ticketmaster UK 29. Flybe.com 30. Symantec Store 31. QVCUK.com 32. The Orange Shop 33. Packard Bell UK 34. Jet2 35. B&Q 36. Travelodge UK 37. Woolworths UK 38. Apple iTunes 39. Odeon 40. Carphone Warehouse 41. ebookers.com 42. Debenhams 43. Maplin Electronics 44. HP 45. Monarch Airlines 46. InterContinental Hotels Group 47. ASDA 48. Superbreak 49. Ikea 50. Screwfix Direct

For comparison, November's list can be seen here.

Emma Herrod