Online sales hit record to lift retailers

One third of the growth in non-food sales came from purchases made over the internet, according to the sales monitor by British Retail Consortium and accountants KPMG.

For the first time they have published detailed online sales data as part of their closely watched monthly study. It showed online sales of non-food products grew by 13.4 per cent in September against a year earlier and represented a record 17.5 per cent of such sales, or £1 in every £5.71 spent.

Across all categories online sales grew faster than their store equivalents and in some cases, such as shoes and clothes, internet growth offset a decline in high street sales.

Helen Dickinson, BRC director general, said: “To succeed today, retailers are investing not only in an outstanding product offering but also in ever-evolving ways to reach customers in the online world.”

The highest proportion of internet sales was in furniture and flooring at 31.7 per cent, following by shoes at 27.4 per cent and clothes at 23.9 per cent. David McCorquodale, KPMG head of retail, said: “This demonstrates the vital role online can play for retailers during the transition between ­seasons.

“Retailers have also invested significantly to ensure their omni-channel processes can meet consumer demand and this is reflected in the penetration levels, which have now reached their highest level seen so far this year.”

Overall retail sales including food were up 2.4 per cent in September, driven by electrical and leisure goods, though underlying growth was just 0.7 per cent, the weakest monthly growth so far this year once the impact of Easter dates are taken into account.

McCorquodale called the figures a “reality check” and said they would make retailers nervous ahead of Christmas. “The stark fact is the retail recovery remains fragile and in the lead-up to Christmas retailers, who are generally carrying less stock than in prior years, will need to manage SDHppromotional activity carefully to ­maintain margins,” he added.