Sales slow for UK SME online retailers
New research has shown a continued slowdown in online retail growth for small to medium sized enterprises.
The fifth quarterly online sales survey, conducted by e-commerce specialist Actinic, reports an average 7% increase in sales revenue and orders in the three months to 30 June 2011.
This compares to growth running at over 15% in the same quarter last year and 9% in the first quarter of 2011.
However, these results still compare favourably with high street retailers, which experienced growth of just 1.5% in quarter two.
The average order value has remained virtually unchanged at £72.08 for the second quarter of this year from £72.16 in the previous three-month period.
Nick Kington, managing director at Actinic Online commented: “These figures are not a big surprise. Consumer spending is clearly being hit hard and online retailers are not immune to tough times. However, some web merchants are thriving, highlighting that a combination of good merchandising, marketing and customer service can bring success even in the current climate.”
