Online greater than 20% of UK retail spend for first time

The home delivery expert ParcelCompare says the most significant result was that for the first time ever UK internet sales grabbed over 20% of all retail. ParcelHero’s Head of Consumer Research, David Jinks MILT, says: ‘Online sales took 21.5% of all consumer spending in November. That’s a trajectory we believe will continue to grow rapidly through 2019.’

Explains David: ‘ASOS’ gloomy November figures had us all braced for a poor month, especially as it was widely acknowledged Black Friday’s sales had under-performed. However, online sales this November were actually up 13.1% on last November and soared by 36.3% compared to the previous month.’

Concludes David: ‘Retailers will be giving a small sigh of relief that shoppers did actually spend 5% more this November than in 2017, and 1.5% more than in October; but once again these sales are being driven by online spending. 21.5% of our November pre-Christmas spend was online and our research reveals within a decade half of all our purchases will be online. Small wonder the author of a report on the future of the High Street issued today, Sir John Timpson, says the UK has twice as many shops as it needs.’