Online sales bounce back

Seventeen per cent increase driven by strong web sales of clothing

Online shoppers bought lots of clothes in July

Online sales bounced back in July, with web retail revenue up 17 per cent compared to the previous month, according to the latest IMRG Capgemini research.

In June, web sales fell 1.3 per cent month on month, with the study showing a greater prevalence for online “window shopping”.

But the trend reversed in July, driven by strong growth in clothing, accessories and electrical goods. This year’s 17 per cent figure beat the average growth for the month of July, which stands at 16 per cent.

“Online retail continues to outperform the high street with e-retail growth in July exceeding the yearly growth seen in July 2008,” said Tina Spooner, director of information at IMRG.

“Fashion and electrical retailers reported strong growth and these remain the key drivers of the UK e-retail market. It is evident that online merchants are becoming more sophisticated in their marketing efforts and email communications to their customers, the result of which can be seen in higher conversion rates, particularly in the clothing sector.”