LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM -- (Marketwire) -- 12/05/12 -- TV Executives would have people believe that Saturday nights in are dominated by just two forces: Strictly and X Factor. However, a new set of ratings has been revealed today showing how many of the British public are actually switching off from both rival talent shows and shopping from their armchairs instead.

Sales data from leading online clothes shopping store, Very.co.uk, show that mobile sales (those made using an iPhone, iPad or other tablet device) have spiked dramatically throughout the broadcasts of the 'big two' this year, with those during the X Factor being 48% higher on average than for arch-nemesis Strictly Come Dancing.

Clearly not living up to its claim that 'Saturday night starts right here', the X Factor saw rates of sofa shopping reach a peak during its 'Number Ones' week, with mobile sales 111% higher than Strictly - even accounting for the former's lengthy advert breaks.

However, while Bruce & Tess may have been winning both the attention span and ratings war, in recent weeks the gap has been narrowing, with the most recent X Factor sales just 8% up over Strictly Come Dancing as the tension begins to rise in both competitions.

The data also reveals how mobile sales have been increasing week-on-week for both shows: by 51% over the four weeks to 1st December for Strictly (showing that interest may now be waning despite all the favourites still remaining in the competition) and by 31% for X Factor over the same period, revealing that the lack of girls in the competition may be causing viewers to look elsewhere for their fashion fix.

Jon Owen, Retail Director at Very.co.uk said: "With the convenience of online shopping and around 20% of all our online transactions now made using a mobile or tablet device, audiences switching attentions between the TV and their mobile screen is clearly becoming the norm for the standard Saturday night in."

NOTES TO EDITORS

(i)'Sales double' relates to mobile sales made during scheduled programme time slots 10.11.12.

About Very.co.uk:

Very.co.uk boasts celebrity collections from Fearne Cotton, Holly Willoughby, Jameela Jamil and many more. Very.co.uk sells more than 800 brands - including leading fashion labels and our own brands.

SDG brands include:

Very.co.uk

Littlewoods.com

Isme.com

Woolworths.co.uk

Brandquarter.co.uk