ONS finds 15.2% annual growth for online retail in March
The Office for National Statistics has revealed a 15.2% annual growth in internet sales from March 2011 to March 2012, with clothes and footwear sales up by 27%.
The research found that the average weekly value of internet sales in March was £484m, up £9m from February.
It was found that non-store retailers came close behind clothing for year on year growth, up 22.7% from last year and now accounting for 41.3% of all internet spend.
Adam Stewart, marketing director at Rakuten’s Play.com, said to The Drum regarding these figures: “As households start to feel the effects of last month’s budget announcements and income squeeze, it’s encouraging to see the retail sector is still growing. With incomes tight, retailers instinct is to compete on lowest price, but as we saw in January this results in peaks and troughs for the economy. In reality attention should be turned to adding value.
“In the coming months, independent retailers and SME’s need to find ways to make the customer feel special and the service or shopping experience they deliver feel distinctive both in store and online.”