July's Sporting Winners - Alcaraz, Spain And... Online Sales!

19th August 2024

July was a big month for sport, including the Euros and Wimbledon. Another winner was e-commerce, says the home delivery expert Parcelhero. Online shoppers spent 2.5% more than in June, with department store and sports equipment sites finishing on top.

July was a big month for sports lovers, with events including football's UEFA European Championship, Wimbledon and the start of the Olympics. While Spain won the Euros and Alcaraz and Krejčíková lifted the Wimbledon trophies, it was e-commerce that was the month’s true winner, says the home delivery expert Parcelhero.

Parcelhero’s Head of Consumer Research, David Jinks M.I.L.T., says: ‘The latest Office for National Statistics (ONS) retail sales figures for July show that the amount spent online rose by 2.5% over June and by 3.6% compared to July 2023.

‘That’s considerably more than shoppers’ total spend, the sum of all in-store and online sales combined, which rose by 0.7% over the month.

‘Online department stores and non-food stores, a category which includes sports equipment stores, topped the tables. Spending on online department stores sites soared by 10.6% thanks to summer discounts, including tempting offers on TVs to lure sports-lovers. Non-food stores took the runners-up prize with a 1.8% jump.

‘The proportion of sales made online as a portion of all retail spending increased from 27.4% in June (revised up from 27.1%) to 27.8% in July.

‘High Street sales may not have lifted the trophy but they still put up a spirited performance: think Southgate’s doughty England team. High Street department stores and sports equipment shops mirrored their online counterparts’ success, with retailers suggesting that summer discounts and sporting events boosted sales.

‘Retail sales volumes (that’s the quantity bought) are estimated to have risen by 0.5% in July, following a fall of 0.9% in June. Department stores saw a 4% jump in the amount they sold compared to June and non-food stores, including those that sell sports equipment, enjoyed a healthy 2.5% rise.

‘Hopefully, the Olympics will prove to have boosted retail spending in August. However, there is concern that shoppers avoided High Streets earlier this month due to public unrest.

‘The number of summer shoppers should have soared in early August as school holidays and family day trips started. However, it’s likely that High Street sales figures will be notably down on the same period last year. Watch this space for August’s ONS figures...

‘Though nobody wins under such circumstances, those stores with a combined High Street and online offering will have suffered the least overall drop in sales. Parcelhero’s influential report "2030: Death of the High Street" has been discussed in Parliament. It reveals that retailers must develop an omnichannel approach, embracing both online and physical store sales. Read the full report at: https://www.parcelhero.com/content/downloads/pdfs/high-street/deathofthehighstreetreport.pdf