E-tailers crEaking

Tech savvy UKers wishing to avoid the pre-Christmas hell that is getting trampled under bargain-hungry grannies and psycho mothers with prams are causing some of the big high street E-tailers to slooooww down big style...

Some of the UK's leading e-tailers are failing to cope with the seasonal rush, with the websites of CD-Wow, Currys, Debenhams and Dixons all creaking under the strain.

According to figures from Keynote Systems, most people are doing their Christmas shopping online between Sunday evening and Wednesday evening, with lunchtimes a particularly popular period.

On Monday 2 December, Tuesday 3 December and Wednesday 4 December, the sites of CD-Wow, Currys, Debenhams and Dixons all slowed in the crucial period between 1pm and 2pm. The Debenhams website, for example, took around 55 seconds to download during the lunch hour on Monday and Tuesday.

There's nothing quite like the expectancy when waiting to see if you have to enter your credit card details for the nth time before the page times out eh? Are you shopping online or do you love the high street hustle?

View: E-tailers creaking under the Christmas rush