EBay has said that shoppers are sticking with traditional and trusted brands this Christmas, with sales of toy brands such as Lego and Playmobil proving popular with customers.

In the week to December 6, 11 items were bought every second on eBay.co.uk and on December 6, one of its busiest days, it sold 14 Christmas gifts every second, with 5 million people visiting the site.

EBay also said that although its group fixed sales business has now overtaken its traditional auction offer in terms of transactions, it is still committed to both parts of
the business.

The etailer said that it now has 20 retailers on its Outlet site, which launched in September. “We have a series of retailers that we are in discussions with,” said an eBay UK spokesman.

He added: “It is definitely an attractive offer for your typical eBay shopper who is on the hunt for great deals.”

He said that retailers including Schuh are offering fixed price and auctioned items to help drive traffic to their sections of the site.

Separately, seven people have been found guilty of selling millions of pounds worth of counterfeit branded golf clubs on eBay from June 2003 to March 2008 and are due to be sentenced next month.