Decline in Online Sales Reported

Tuesday, August 27, 2019 - 08:50 by Mike Price

Analysts at IMRG have claimed that July actually saw a decline in the number of purchases made via safe shopping online in the UK compared with the previous month, indicating that even major retail events and fine weather conditions were not enough to keep consumers spending in large numbers.

The 5.7 per cent fall in sales between June and July is clearly worrying, although far from unexpected. It is also worth pointing out that year on year there was still a 4.4 per cent rise in web-based purchases last month; it is simply the case that the month-by-month growth that the market has enjoyed for a long time is clearly no longer sustainable.

July played host to Amazon Prime Day, a sales event which would normally be expected to boost spending above and beyond normal projected levels. Even so, the overall uncertain outlook which is rife across the UK meant that the promise of bargain prices on popular products was not enough to tempt more people to part with their cash.

The report looked into how different product types fared last month, with fashion items in particular taking a hit. Women’s clothing sales dropped by almost a tenth, while style accessories saw a 13.3 per cent decline in the same period, according to Internet Retailing.

There was still growth in the menswear category, which managed to maintain a double-digit uptick in sales. Even so, this is lower than in most earlier eras and is still indicative that consumer trends are being reshaped by the impending arrival of the delayed Brexit deadline in October.

There are many reports into the health of the UK retail market published on a regular basis, and while there may be discrepancies and differing opinions on certain aspects of each, there is no denying the overarching evidence of turmoil at the moment.