A month since non-essential retail reopened in England, the latest online retail data from Salesfire shows that ecommerce stores have shifted their focus to tailored discounts to sustain the demand in online shopping.
Salesfire says that orders with UK online retailers were down by -7% between 12th April and 12th May compared to the previous month, after non-essential retail reopened.
Online discounts worked heavily in shoppers’ favour, with brands using key dates in the calendar to boost their traffic. Fashion and accessory retailers performed particularly well on Earth Day on 22nd April, after sustainability-focused promotions led to a +54% uptick in sales.
On Bank Holiday Monday, home and living stores saw a +38% increase in furniture sales, suggesting people were thinking about home improvements over the long weekend.
Rich Himsworth, CEO at Salesfire, says: “Despite the pent-up demand for the in-store shopping experience bringing customers back onto the high street, it isn’t surprising that online shopping is still seeing a high rate of growth. Consumers have become used to valuing the convenience of ordering online while they largely remain working from home.
“The boom in sales on Earth Day reflects the eco-conscious shift that we have seen in shoppers over the past few years, which has only been enhanced by the pandemic. Online retailers have the advantage of being able to offer tailored discount codes and online remarketing tactics to attract the right customers. This can boost sales on key dates, compared to in-store discounts, which are less tailored and rely on people being in the vicinity.”
