Online sales continue double digit growth in July
UK online retail sales were up 12% year-on-year in July according to the latest figures from the IMRG Capgemini e-Retail Sales Index.
Excluding travel, the Index recorded growth of 15%. Sales made via mobile devices, either by smartphones or tablets, increased by 42%.
With just 5% year-on-year growth, July saw the continued run of disappointing sales for the electrical sector, which is yet to see a double-digit increase in the Index in 2015. Between January and July, the sale of electrical goods recorded just 3% year-on-year growth, compared with 15% during the same period last year.
In contrast, the clothing sector continued its positive run in July, recording year-on-year growth of 14%. Despite an uncertain start to the year, July marks the second consecutive month of double-digit growth for the sector in 2015 and follows 18% growth in June.
Tina Spooner, chief information officer at IMRG, explained: “During the early part of the year we saw fairly unpredictable growth rates in e-retail, but higher conversion rates and lower average basket values have seen consistent trends. However, while the percentage of online browsers converting to shoppers hit a high for the year in July, the average basket value remained unchanged from July 2014 – this follows five consecutive months of annual decline in average basket values. With the slow start to the year, it may be that retailers felt pressured into longer and deeper sales campaigns to stimulate activity, and that we are now in a summer season where shopping has ‘normalised’ to an extent before we enter the festive trading period.”
Alex Smith-Bingham, head of digital, consumer products and retail at Capgemini, added: “The continued solid performance of the Index will be reassuring to the UK’s retailers, and is a clear reflection of the ongoing consumer confidence in the health of the economy. The decline in big-ticket items from the electrical sector will continue to leave its mark, but with the new iPhone 6S anticipated to launch in September, we could see a very significant boost before the end of the year.”
