Further eComm sales rebalancing predicted

However, that doesn’t mean the e-commerce genie has been put back in the bottle, says ParcelHero.

At the height of the pandemic, in February 2021, online sales grabbed 35.6% of all retail trade as shoppers fled from the High Street. In contrast, the latest Office for National Statistics (ONS) retail sales figures for January show that – even though the overall value of retail sales increased by 2% over December – eCommerce sales collapsed by a hefty -20.8% compared to January 2021 and -4.5% compared to the previous month.

ParcelHero’s head of consumer research, David Jinks M.I.L.T., says: “We are now seeing a natural rebalancing, as people return to High Streets that feel safer and more normal with the end of most Covid measures.

“However, online sales still represent 25.3% of all total retail sales, a considerable increase on the 19.8% online before Covid hit the UK. 

“We expect to see further falls in year-on-year online sales throughout 2022, as retail adjusts to the new norm, but e-commerce sales will hold firm at around 25% of the retail market.”