Dec 20, 2008
Bargain hunters and Christmas shoppers helped drive online retail sales last month. However, a drop in business on the high street suggests the trade on the internet is hitting stores that do not have an online presence.
Although Britain is is the midst of a recession, online spending increased by 16% compared with last year. Last month's sales were also up by 26 per cent on October, when the fallout from the banking crisis hit consumer confidence.
In a separate survey, Experian found that retail shopping dropped by an average of 9.1% at the weekend; Saturday's high street traffic fell by 13.12% and Sunday's by 4.99%.
Online sales of accessories, such as handbags, increased by 108% last month. Online clothing sales were up 18% and footwear sales were 32% higher, despite the effects of the credit crunch.
Online sales of beer, wines and spirits jumped by 53% last month, indicating that consumers were buying their Christmas supplies early.
In contrast, total retail sales, including high street stores and the internet, declined by 0.4% in November – the first time since 1995 that sales had fallen for two consecutive months, the BRC-KPMG retail sales monitor reported last week.
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