House of Fraser records bumper e-commerce sales at Christmas

Monday, January 6, 2014 - 14:59 by Simon Crisp

House of Fraser is one of a small number of high street chains which not only enjoyed significant sales growth at its bricks and mortar stores over the festive period, but also experienced major increases in the number of customers making purchases online.

The Independent reports that House of Fraser saw high street sales rise by 7.3 per cent in December, which is good news in a market that has been typified by reduced footfall and sluggish sales elsewhere.

However, this retailer fared even better online, with a 58 per cent increase in e-commerce sales recorded last month.

Spokesperson, John King, revealed that the company was capable of encouraging people to carry out safe shopping online by running promotions and sales before Christmas, but explained that while early price drops had hurt some of its competitors, it was restrained enough to still turn a profit.

Fashion items accounted for almost three quarters of the firm's sales during the festive period and while it did not feel the benefits of the Christmas rush until a little later than anticipated, it made up for the slow start with persistently improving performance levels in the final weeks of 2013.

While House of Fraser has 60 outlets in the UK and Ireland, its online presence allows it to appeal to a much wider audience, shipping out products to customers in every region and community.

It is no longer enough for a retailer to exist solely on the high street, because Brits are starting to lose interest in this form of shopping, as they make the leap to the convenient and affordable world of e-commerce.

While not every traditional company has achieved the right balance at the moment, House of Fraser and other companies, like John Lewis, have shown that it is possible to thrive.