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2005 Press Releases

Retail round-up: online retail enjoyed a stellar month

December 20th

London, 20th December 2005, Retail websites in the UK enjoyed an unprecedented level of visits in December 2005 when the sector reached a new peak of 14.85% market share for the week ending 10th December, a 14% increase in visits year-on-year.

Lingerie popular among young men, with searches for lingerie doubling in last 2 months

December 14th

London, 14th December 2005, It would appear that UK shoppers are leaving more of their Christmas shopping to the last minute this year with the latest analysis from Hitwise, the leader in online competitive intelligence, revealing that visits to the Hitwise UK Shopping & Classifieds category reached a new peak of 14.85% of all internet visits last week.

eBay achieves highest ever market share of visits

December 7th

London, 7th December 2005, With just 18 shopping days to go until Christmas, the online retail sector continues to perform strongly in the UK with the sector reaching its highest peak

Retail websites surpass the Christmas 2004 peak.

November 23rd

London, 23rd November 2005, With retailers in the throws of the busy Christmas shopping season, Hitwise - the leader in online competitive intelligence - today reports that UK visits to retail websites have already surpassed last year’s peak.

Kelkoo UK, Pricerunner.com UK, and Shopping.com UK show varying strengths in the lead up to Christmas

November 15th

London, 15th November 2005, Comparison shopping sites can be an important source of visits for retailers in the busy Christmas season. In the week ending 12th November 2005, the Hitwise Rewards and Directories category was the 7th largest referrer of visits to retail websites, responsible for 1 in ...

Robbie Williams tops online chart

November 10th

London, 10th November 2005, Fans desperate to get hold of advance Robbie Williams tickets have catapulted his newly launched site to the top ...

Can Hitwise predict X Factor winner?

November 8th

London, 8th November 2005, Hitwise, the leading online competitive intelligence service, today reports that Shayne Ward is the most searched-for of the 8 remaining X Factor finalists online – backing the bookies who ...

Christmas rush for the latest mobile phones

October 28th

London, 28th October 2005, With the latest raft of mobile phones targeting the lucrative Christmas market just released ...

MSN is the biggest portal, but Google is not far behind

October 25th

London, 25th October 2005, Google’s quarterly earnings report last week made clear just how successful the firm has been at monetising its vast search traffic. While Google controls 70% of the UK search market, the next battle appears to be ...

Searches for bird flu on the increase

October 17th

London, 17th October 2005, The growing threat of bird flu across Europe has resulted in a dramatic increase in online searches by UK internet users according to Hitwise - the leading online competitive intelligence service.

Yahoo! and Google News Search Engines Differ Dramatically in Consumer Usage

October 13th

London, 13th October 2005, There has been increasing talk and speculation about the future of search. One manifestation of the current battle is vertical search, through which search engines are attempting to deliver even more targeted and relevant results to internet users.

South-East Asia earthquake prompts response in traffic to the DEC

October 12th

London, 12th October 2005, Following the South-East Asia earthquake that struck on Saturday and which has caused widespread devastation in the region, Hitwise reports a spike in visits to the website of the Disasters Emergency Committee.

94% of UK Internet searches are powered by 14% of search engines

October 6th

London, 6th October 2005, Analysis by Hitwise, the leading online competitive intelligence service, reveals that the combined forces of the UK and .com properties of Google, Ask, Yahoo! Search, and MSN Search power 94% of UK ...

Searches for petrol prices rocket

September 15th

London, 15th September 2005, Amidst increased panic buying at pumps across the UK as concerns grew that fuel protests may disrupt supplies ...

New hero Flintoff more popular than Rooney

September 14th

London, 14th September 2005, With England still revelling in Ashes glory, Hitwise - the leading online competitive intelligence service today reports that Andrew 'Freddie' Flintoff is taking ...

Hitwise Predicts 12% Growth for Online Shopping this Christmas

September 12th

London,12th September 2005, UK retailers may well be suffering a slump on the high street but online retailing continues to post healthy gains ...

As final Ashes test begins, Cricket overtakes Football as UK’s favourite sport online

September 8th

London, 8th September 2005, As the fifth and final Ashes test begins, Hitwise - the leading online competitive intelligence service today reports that cricket has overtaken football as the UK’s favourite sport online.

Surge in visits to weather and environmental sites in the wake of Hurricane Katrina

September 6th

London, 6th September 2005, Hitwise, the leading online competitive intelligence service, today reports that UK traffic to weather and environmental sites has surged in the wake of the US hurricane disaster.

Searches for PSP surge as European launch date approaches

August 19th

London, 19th August 2005, Hitwise, the world’s leading online competitive intelligence service, today reports that searches for Sony’s PlayStation Portable have surged in the lead-up to the product’s much-hyped launch on September 1st.

Online Wedding Planning Explodes

August 17th

London, 17th August 2005, With the wedding season heating up, brides, bridesmaids and best men are rushing online to find everything from ...

Primark lures style-savvy web users as budget brand’s appeal grows

August 10th

London, August 10th, 2005. It may once have been the bastion of budget basics, but Primark has recently undergone an image transformation and fashionistas are clamouring for its cheap chic clothing.

Google maps out a plan for commercial success in the travel sector

August 4th

London, 4th August 2005, If you’re one of the millions of internet users who have gasped in amazement at a satellite picture of your house on Google UK Maps (maps.google.co.uk), you could be forgiven for thinking that the appeal of the search giant’s latest service lies merely in its novelty value.

Blogging bigger than ever in the UK

July 28th

London, 28th July 2005, They may have been a fixture on the fringes of online culture for several years already, but with the purchase of Intermix (owner of MySpace) by News Corp for $580 million last week, it seems that blogs ...

Harry Potter casts a spell online

July 15th

London, 15th July 2005, Hitwise, the world’s leading online competitive intelligence service, today reports that online traffic to Harry Potter websites and online bookstores in the UK has soared in the lead-up to the release of the ...

Live 8 website the 6th most visited site in the UK on Saturday

July 4th

London, 4th July 2005, Hitwise, the world’s leading online competitive intelligence service, today reports that the official Live 8 website was the sixth most-visited site in the UK on Saturday July 2nd.

Glastonbury Festival drives traffic online

June 30th

London, 30th June 2005, It’s been a big week for the music industry in the UK: with the Glastonbury festival coming to a triumphant close on Sunday and anticipation growing for Saturday’s Live 8 concert, the latest ..

Game, set and match for top tennis personalities online

June 22nd

London, 22nd June 2005, With the stars of the tennis world hitting the grass courts at SW19 this week, data from Hitwise - global leader in online competitive intelligence - spotlights the most searched-for tennis personalities, and reveals that the most popular players are ...

UK searches for Michael Jackson soar as trial reaches conclusion

June 14th

London, 14th June 2005, Hitwise, the world’s leading online competitive intelligence service, today reports that UK searches for Michael Jackson soared as the star’s high profile trial reached its conclusion yesterday.

LIVE 8 fever online as competition deadline approaches

June 9th

London, 9th June 2005, Hitwise, the world’s leading online competitive intelligence service, today reports that online anticipation for London’s LIVE 8 concert has reached a fever pitch this week in the lead-up to the global charity event.

Travel Companies Missing Significant Opportunities by Failing to React to Key Offline Events

June 9th

London, 9th June 2005, The latest analysis from Hitwise, the global leader in real-time online competitive intelligence, reveals that travel companies are potentially missing out on significant opportunities by not reacting fast enough to popular offline events.

Shopping Search Heats Up with eBay Acquisition of Shopping.com

June 2nd

London, 2nd June 2005, Hitwise Analysis of the Shopping Search market in the UK:

G8 Summit drives traffic to Make Poverty History

May 31st

London, 31st May 2005, Hitwise, the world’s leading online competitive intelligence service, today reports that traffic to the Make Poverty History website is fast gaining momentum ahead of the upcoming G8 Summit in July.

Sudoku puzzles Internet users as Japanese word craze sweeps UK

May 23rd

London, 23rd May 2005, Hitwise, the world’s leading online competitive intelligence service, today reports that Japanese puzzle craze Sudoku is sweeping the online world as it continues to gain fans in the UK.

Jedi fever strikes online as Star Wars film premieres in the UK

May 17th

London, 17th May 2005, Hitwise, the world’s leading online competitive intelligence service, today reports Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith is the number one ...

Travelocity acquisition of Lastminute.com

May 12th

London, 12th May 2005, Today’s announcement of the proposed acquisition of Lastminute.com by Sabre-owned Travelocity for £577m heralds continued consolidation in the ..

GI Diet craze still a hit with carb-conscious consumers

May 11th

London, 11th May 2005, Britain’s enthusiasm for the low-carb diet revolution may be slowing, but the latest online data from Hitwise, global leader in real-time competitive intelligence, reveals the GI Diet is still the number one choice for health-conscious consumers online.

Online Interest shows Liberal Democrats on track for best ever success on Election Eve

May 4th

London, 4th May 2005, With Britain heading for the polls tomorrow, Hitwise data released today showing searches for and usage of the main parties’ websites supports the prediction that the Liberal Democrats are heading for their best election result in over ..

Hitchhiker’s Guide makes a stellar impact online

April 29th

London, 29th April 2005, British sci-fi fans have had an exciting few weeks – with last month’s premiere of the new Doctor Who series just behind us, the long-awaited film version of cult novel The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy hits our screens today ...

ASDA and Somerfield – a near-perfect online match

April 27th

London, 27 April 2005, ASDA is the latest suitor eyeing Somerfield for a potential takeover and Hitwise data shows that ASDA and Somerfield may be a match made in heaven – at least online.

1 in 10 Searches for Leading Brands go to a Competitor Website

April 25th

London, 25 April 2005, New research from Hitwise reveals that nearly 8 in 10 searches for leading travel, retail, and insurance brands send visits to that company’s website, with 1 in 10 sending visits to a site offering the same or similar product.

Labour and Conservatives neck-and-neck online with just two weeks until the Election

April 21st

London, 21st April 2005, With the General Election just two weeks away, Labour and the Conservatives are currently neck-and-neck in the race for online popularity, with the Liberal Democrats hot on their heels.

Bargain hunters search out cheap cars as MG Rover collapses

April 20th

London, 20th April 2005, The devastating collapse of British automotive manufacturer MG Rover has brought the Internet bargain hunters out of the woodwork this week, with a dramatic increase in searches for MG Rover vehicles online.

Labour takes the lead online

April 15th

London, 15th April 2005, The Labour Party’s website has become the top politics site in the UK, outstripping the Conservatives’ site for the first time since the general election was called ten days ago.

Make Poverty History clicks with online audience

April 13th

London, 13th April 2005, Make Poverty History has clicked its way to the number one position in the online charities sector this week, thanks to a new ad campaign featuring a host of high-profile celebrities.

Gambling sites reach the home stretch as UK’s biggest horse event approaches

April 8th

London, 8th April 2005, Camilla may be thundering down the aisle on the same day, but for the UK gambling industry tomorrow’s Grand National is the biggest racing event of the year – and Hitwise data reveals that punters are betting online in ever-increasing numbers.

Wristband craze hits the online community sector

March 30th

London, 30th March 2005, The latest fashion phenomenon to hit the streets this year is the craze for charity wristbands, and Hitwise reports that UK Internet users are scouring the Web for wristbands – both authentic and fake – in increasing numbers.

New Doctor Who Outpaces Ant and Dec Saturday Night Take Away

March 24th

London, 24th March 2005, Sci-fi fans around the UK are quivering in anticipation this week as the BBC’s new series of Doctor Who gets ready to premiere on ..

Internet seraches for Trampolines bounce back

March 22nd

London, 22nd March 2005, If Internet searches are any indication, the Easter Bunny won’t be the only thing bouncing this weekend, as UK web surfers look in ever increasing numbers for ...

Traffic surplus for Treasury as 2005 Budget released

March 17th

London, 17th March 2005 - Hitwise, the world's leading online competitive intelligence service, today reports that the website of HM Treasury received a surplus of traffic in response to the release of the 2005 budget yesterday.

Luck of the Irish for Guinness Website

March 16th

London, 16th March 2005, Hitwise, the world’s leading online competitive intelligence service, today reports that the website of iconic Irish brew Guinness is soaring up the charts in the lead-up to ..

Comic Relieg a winner as fameacademyfinal goes to air

March 14th

London, 14th March 2005, Hitwise, the world’s leading online competitive intelligence service, today reports that Comic Relief has achieved massive online success with the culmination of both its Red Nose Day and Fame Academy initiatives last Friday.

Liberal Democrats most searched for Political Party

March 9th

London, 9th March 2005, Tony Blair may well be the most searched for political personality among the leaders of the three major parties but the Liberal Democrats have just become the most searched for political party, according to the latest data from Hitwise.

Traffic to Flower and Gifts Sites up 17% Since Valentine’s

March 4th

London, 4th March 2005, Mums appear to be more popular than girlfriends - at least online - according to the latest data from Hitwise, which reveals that traffic to the Flowers & Gifts retail sector is currently 17% higher than its Valentine’s peak on February 10th.

Interflora Seduces Valentine's Day Shoppers

February 15th

London, 15th February 2005, Hitwise, the world’s leading online competitive intelligence service, today reports that Interflora won the hearts of online shoppers during February to become the UK retail industry’s top performer in the online Valentine’s Day gift market.

January Sales Boost Online Retail Traffic by 20% Year on Year

February 7th

London, 7th February 2005, Hitwise, the world’s leading online competitive intelligence service, today reports that the online retail sector has performed particularly strongly during the post-Christmas January sales period, experiencing a ...

Online Travel Sector Boost Traffic by 14%

January 13th

London, 13th January 2005, Hitwise, the world’s leading online competitive intelligence service, today reports that UK visits to the online travel sector in the first week of January were up 14% compared with the same week in 2004.

Best Ever Year for Online Retail

January 6th

London, 6th January 2005, Hitwise, the world’s leading online competitive intelligence service, today reports that the 2004 Christmas season saw the strongest ever performance for the Internet retail sector in the UK, with online retailers experiencing a 23% increase in traffic from December 2003.