Online sales rise 17pc in first half

Online retail saw 16.8 per cent year-on-year growth during the first half of 2018, according to the Capgemini IMRG eRetail Sales Index.

In contrast to the downturn on high street sales, online saw its highest average first half growth since 2011 – above the five year average of 14.1 per cent.

The first half average basket value was also at its highest for the decade at £94, and again outshines the 5-year-average of £85.

“The year started with a lot of doom and gloom and uncertainty around retail. What has been encouraging is how well online retail has performed in the first half, particularly in seasonal categories like Clothing and Garden,” said Bhavesh Unadkat, principal consultant in retail customer engagement at Capgemini.

“These two sectors have delivered higher basket values (+38.0 per cent and + 19.6 per cent YoY respectively), with consumers becoming impulsive in their purchases as they refreshed summer wardrobes and prepared for more time spent outside.

“Despite that online-only retailers outperformed multichannel retailers during most of H1, with average growth at +18.6 per cent and +14.7 per cent respectively, multichannel actually closed the gap on last year’s YOY growth.