Growth of online clothing sales doubles in August
New figures have revealed that the UK online retail sector experienced its strongest level of annual growth since November 2013 in August with a year-on-year increase of 18%.
According to the latest IMRG Capgemini e-Retail Sales Index, an estimated £8.1 billion was spent online in the month.
Much of the growth was driven by the clothing sector which saw annual growth of 20%; double the increase recorded in June and July. The accessories sub-sector reported an even bigger rise at 60% as shoppers bought last minute items for their holidays.
Meanwhile, the home subsector achieved a disappointing increase of 1% on the same period last year. However, electricals recorded growth of 19% boosted by a surge in purchases of high-powered vacuum cleaners following an EU directive banning models of more than 1,600 watts.
Never Miss a Retail Update!Andrew McClelland, chief policy and operations officer at IMRG, said: “A cold spell during August combined with the launch of Autumn/Winter 2014 clothing ranges boosted e-retail growth. Interestingly, the high street brands continued to perform particularly strongly with electrical sales vying for the top spot this month. Overall Index growth of 18% sees us on target to exceed the earlier expectations of growth for 2014. A £100 billion year is certain to be exceeded in 2014.”
Alex Smith-Bingham, vice president, digital Services leader at Capgemini, added: “August’s results revealed a real spark in the confidence of the British consumer, with an increase in spend on clothing accessories, such as sandals and other holiday essentials, but a drop in the staycation spend on the home. It will be interesting to see whether there will be a significant uptick in little luxuries around the home during the autumn months now the majority of holidaymakers have returned home.”
