Online sales in the UK have grown by 19% during the first half of the year, with British shoppers now spending £31.5 billion.
The latest figures from the IMRG Capgemini e-Retail Sales Index revealed a better than expected performance for on-line sales during the first six months of 2011.
The growth of online usage has of course fuelled a significant increase in volumes for both parcels and packets, which is a welcome boost for the UK postal operators, who are keen to plug the gaps left by a decline in volumes elsewhere.
The recent retail growth is due to several key factors:
- A struggling economy
- The decline in high street shoppers
- Exceptional spring weather saw shoppers add to their summer wardrobes
- Whilst the summer downpours have increased the appeal of indoors shopping
In June alone there was a total of £5.3 billion spent online, 21% more than June 2010 … and the equivalent to £86 per person. This growth far exceeds that witnessed on the high street, which reported a like-for-like drop of 0.6% on the same period last year.
David Smith, Managing Direct at IMRG said “Many were predicting a tough year for retail in 2011 and in the high street that has proved to be the case, but the online market has actually grown by 19% over the first half of the year. This rise in June is currently 1% ahead of our prediction for the year, so a really positive start overall.”
