Online payment gateways do big business during holiday season

European shoppers made a lot of their holiday purchases online in 2010, according to a report released this week by analysis firm CB Richard Ellis.

Ecommerce sales in the U.K. for December 2010 were up 25 percent from a year before, CBRE reported, thanks to a number of factors.

Lower prices, more retailers doing business online, and improvements in delivery options for ecommerce vendors all contributed to the big numbers for the digital marketplace, the company said.

Peter Gold, of the company's EMEA cross-border retail division, said the move toward online was a permanent one.

"The huge increase in online sales reflects a continuing and fundamental shift in shopping patterns as more and more shoppers buy online to take advantage of better prices and convenience," he stated.

The growing sophistication of online payment gateways may also play a large part in the surging appeal of ecommerce, since making transactions easier and more secure tends to be a hugely important selling point for consumers.