Online sales surge during Jubilee

The IMRG Capgemini eRetail Sales Index revealed that British shoppers spent an estimated £6bn across the month, a 5% jump on April’s online spend.

Brits were clearly in the party spirit over May’s two bank holiday with online alcohol sales jumping 12% month-on-month.

The first taste of summer resulted in a welcome boost for the clothing sector over the month. Online fashion sales grew 11% in May, returning from its lowest ever level in April.

Electricals continued to perform well, with demands for the latest gadgets, including iPads, helping  to maintain 22% year-on-year growth in the sector.

Pureplay etailers outperformed their multichannel counterparts for the fifth consecutive month, achieving 19% growth against 10% for retailers with both an online and high street presence. The trend is in contrast to the last two years where multichannel players have experienced a greater level of growth.

IMRG chief information officer Tina Spooner said: “There appears to be an interesting trend emerging between these two groups of retailers and each month the gap is widening.  This may be an indicator that consumers who previously only shopped online with trusted high street brands are becoming more trusting of the lesser-known pureplays.”

Mobile commerce continued to soar, jumping 359% year-on-year. Conversion rates on mobile devices reached its highest level at 1.8%.

Capgemini head of retail and technology Chris Webster said: “Rising mobile conversion rates demonstrate that shopper’s willingness to browse on a mobile device is converting into transactions and purchases. This means retailers are refreshing their mobile-enabled websites to catch shoppers on the go and in a way that builds consumer trust.”