Description
“There is no doubt that the online channel has benefitted from the conditions of the pandemic. Online sales near doubled (+46.9%) to £110.9 billion in 2020, accounting for a record 27.5% of all retail sales. 44% of consumers have shopped more via retailer websites since the pandemic began, with a smaller proportion (15%) shopping more from social media platforms. A quarter of consumers have also used click-and-collect more as a result of the pandemic.”
– Emily Viberg, Retail Analyst
Key issues covered in the report:
- Analyst comment – Impact of Covid-19 on UK Retail – category winners and losers.
- An overview of the latest UK retail sales – Impact of COVID-19
- Highlights of the latest UK retail trend observations
- Sector Focus – Online Retailing
- Monthly UK retail news headlines and analysis
Table of Contents
-
Analyst Comment – Impact of Covid-19 on UK Retail
- Category winners and losers
- Winner: online retailing
- Figure 1: All online retail sales, split by broad category of retailer, Jan 2016 – Feb 2021
- Loser: in-store trade
-
- Figure 2: Estimated growth/decline in in-store sales, by major category, Jan 2019 – Feb 2021
- Winner: localised trade and independent retailers
- Loser: inner city trade
- Winner: home and grocery
- Loser: fashion
- Figure 3: retail sales, performance by category during 2020 and 2020 and 2021 lockdowns
- Winner: digital service and payments
- Loser: in-store service and other USPs
-
UK Retail Sales
- Key points
- Retail Sales
- Figure 4: Retail sales trends, January 2019- April 2021
- BRC vs ONS
- Figure 5: UK retail sales y/y growth, BRC vs ONS, January 2018 –April 2021
- Inflation
- Figure 6: Annual % change in the consumer price index for selected product groups, January 2019 – April2021
- Inflation and wages
- Figure 7: Real wages growth: Wages growth vs inflation, January 2016 –March 2021
- Looking forward
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Sector Focus – Online Retailing
- What we have seen
- Growth in online sales is halted as psychical stores reopen
- Figure 8: All online retail sales (exc fuel), 2019-20201
- Demand for clothing online remains in April 2021
- Figure 9: All retail sales, by category, 2019-2021
- Impact of COVID-19 on online retailing
- Figure 10: Online shopping behaviour intentions post-peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, February 2021
- Concern in visiting stores directly tied to overall concern
- Figure 11: Consumers changing shopping habits due to COBID-19, 29th April – 6th May 2021
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Launch Activity and Innovations
- UK: George at Asda to sell second-hand clothing
- UK: Anya Hindmarch reveals plans for new physical retail concept The Village
- UK: Moss Bros launches subscription service for renting formalwear
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Headlines for the Month
- Grocers
- Other food and drink specialists
- Clothing retailing
- Multi-sector retailing
- Department stores
- DIY retailing
- Electrical retailing
- Furniture retailing
- Homewares retailing
- Online
- Sports and leisure goods retailing
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News Analysis – Food and Drink
- Co-ops
- UK: Co-op
- …scraps plastic ‘bags for life’
- …price matches own-label plant-based range against meat equivalent items
- Grocers
- UK: Aldi trials package-free refill stations
- UK: Asda
- …owners agree to sell petrol stations to get approval from the CMA
- …launches first sustainability report
- …puts 1,200 roles into consultation
- …EG Group acquires Leon for £100m
- UK: Lidl launches COVID-19 antigen tests in store
- UK: Morrisons has brought back its refillable container service
- UK: Sainsbury’s sees £261 million loss as COVID costs have been ‘high’
- UK: Tesco
- …‘well-placed to build on momentum’ as group sales grow 7%
- …Yours Clothing set to open shop-in-shops in Tesco
- Other food and drink specialists
- UK: Cake Box eyes 52 new stores openings
- UK: Hotel Chocolate increases full-year sales forecast following strong Easter and Mother’s Day
-
News Analysis – Clothing and Footwear
- Clothing retailing
- UK: Aspinal of London expects to return to profitability thanks to CVA
- UK: French Connection
- …and Thrift+ team up
- …sales drop 40% due to store closures
- UK: Hobbs posts drop in profits as impact of pandemic hit
- UK: Mango launches 3D-printed accessories range
- UK: Monsoon set to roll out new ‘renaissance’ store concept
- UK: Mulberry reveals new sustainability manifesto
- UK: Next
- …ups profit guidance by £20 million
- …opens Homebase shop-in-shops
- UK: Primark revenues drop 40% due to store closures
- UK: Quiz sales down 66% amid prolonged periods of store closures
- UK: Superdry sees revenue fall 21% due to COVID-19 disruptions
- UK: The White Company sees turnover grow 4% boosted by strong online sales
- UK: Topshop’s flagship on Oxford Street valued at £420 million
- UK: Zara launches a new range of beauty products
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News Analysis – Mixed Goods
- Multi-sector retailing
- UK: Poundland launches chilled & frozen sections to a further 46 stores
- UK: The Original Factory Shop unveils plans for 50 new stores
- Department stores
- UK: Debenhams
- …reveals locations of 52 store closures
- …to close all stores by May 15
- UK: Frasers Group reveals first Frasers store
- UK: Harrods
- …reveals second H Beauty hall in Milton Keynes
- …reveal completed food hall with new Chocolate Hall
- UK: House of Fraser store in Victoria to permanently shut
- UK: John Lewis reveals own-brand label AnyDay
- UK: Selfridges
- …teams up with SoulCycle to open first Outside Studio
- …debuts new rental service
-
News Analysis – Household Goods
- DIY retailing
- UK: Toolstation drive Q1 sales for Travis Perkins
- Electrical retailing
- UK: Dixons Carphone to close travel business
- Furniture retailing
- UK: IKEA reveals overhauled AR App that lets customers design entire rooms
- UK: Jysk unveils plans to open five new stores in UK at end of the year
- Homewares retailing
- UK: ProCook ready for international expansion as sales grow 35%
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News Analysis – Online
- UK: Amazon reveal third Amazon Fresh store in White City
- UK: AO World sees sales grow 88% for UK
- UK: Asos and DPD team up to launch textile recycling scheme
- UK: Bloom & Wild acquires Dutch Bloomon as part of its European expansion push
- UK: Boohoo sees profits grow 35% despite ‘Covid-19 cost headwinds’
- UK: Feelunique sales grows 26% to £103.5 million
- UK: Gousto sales up 129% thanks to more online grocery shopping
- UK: In The Style maintains ‘strong momentum’ as turnover increases 130%
- UK: Naked Wines sales up 68% driven by strong performance in the US
- UK: Sosandar revenues up 63%
- UK: Studio Retail Group increases profit outlook
- UK: The Hut Group
- …buys healthy snack business in £43 million deal
- …teams up with Zip to offer shoppers ‘buy now, pay later’ option
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News Analysis – Other Retail
- Book and stationery retailing
- UK: WHSmith to open 100 travel stores worldwide
- Sports and leisure goods retailing
- UK: JD Sports
- …to open Dublin warehouse to tackle Brexit trading problems
- …acquires clothing retailer Oi Polloi
- Jewellers
- UK: Pandora to stop selling mined diamonds
- Garden centres
- UK: Dobbies acquires Johnsons Garden Centre in Lincolnshire
- Shopping centres
- UK: Hammerson to sell seven retail parks to Canadian firm
- UK: Westfield
- …celebrates small businesses
- …to launch immersive shopping experience Situ Live
- …owner sees turnover drop 30%
- Economy
- UK: BRC sees 8.3% increase in total retail sales for March
- UK: Retail sales up 9.3% in March
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