A new survey of small firms throughout the UK has found that more than half of them are expecting their strongest Christmas yet, thanks to people shopping both online and earlier due to the pandemic.

The results of this survey show that 58% of UK small firms expect this to be a bumper festive season, with Covid-19 driving online shopping and leading to customers spending greater amounts of money on gifts earlier than ever.

This survey was carried out by TalkTalk Business, and 65% of smaller firms stated that people have started buying presents earlier than in previous years. A further 70% said that shoppers had switched to buying online, with 60% of them indicating that online shopping was leading customers to buy more than they typically do in person.

In regional terms, the North West was one of the most optimistic areas. In total, 46% of firms based there said that their customers were buying online earlier and in greater quantities. Consulting with a small business accountant in Goole and or wherever they are based can help small firms make smart use of any extra cash.

Speaking to About Manchester, Alex Reagan from the 304 Clothing outlet cited the importance of being able to offer online and mobile shopping options, before adding:

“Looking at our sales, our customers have already started their Christmas shopping, so we anticipate this festive period to be our best ever.”

In total, 71% of the small firms surveyed by TalkTalk stated that they expected almost all of their sales during the festive period to be online.