Apple jumps six places in the Hot Shops list to snare the number two position from Argos for the first time ever.

The Interactive Media in Retail Group (IMRG) released the Hot Shops list for the last quarter and while Amazon.com Inc (NASDAQ:AMZN) remains in first place, Apple Inc (NASDAQ:AAPL) has jumped six places to snare the number two position from Argos for the first time ever.

The launch of the iPhone 4S twinned with the passing of Steve Jobs saw Apple Inc’s web traffic increase five-fold. In October 2011, Apple accounted for one in every 250 visits from UK internet users.

James Murray, Marketing Research Analyst at Experian Hitwise commented: "Amazon UK and Apple are now the two biggest brands in online retail, and this Christmas they will go head-to-head in the gadget wars as the Amazon Kindle contends with the Apple iPad.  Our data shows that iPad is the more popular gadget online but the Kindle’s lower price point may entice shoppers this Christmas."

Other findings

Despite reports of the mild Autumn weather affecting sales of seasonal product ranges, the fashion sector has seen increasing online traffic. Fashion retailers Very.co.uk (+19) and H&M (+15) both saw significant rises in the rankings to 22nd and 43rd place respectively. ASOS (+7) at 12th, New Look (+3) at 13th, Topshop (+5) at 15th and River Island (+4) at 19th also improved this quarter. Next was the only notable fashion brand to drop in the rankings, although this was more a testament to the growth of other websites.

Ticketmaster was one of the fastest moving websites of the quarter, up 16 places in the Hot Shops list to 20th position. The ticketing website saw traffic increase by 37% over the course of the quarter, thanks to announced comeback tours for Steps and the Stone Roses. Toys R Us (+15) at 48th place was also among the fast movers, receiving a high share of traffic for top toy search items including Lego and Peppa Pig.

"The UK spent 322 million hours shopping online in October 2011 and this is likely to increase to 350 million hours in December as people shop for their Christmas gifts," Murray concludes.