BRC-KPMG Retail Sales Monitor April 2014 – stores enjoy Easter sales boost over online
Helen Dickinson, director general, British Retail Consortium, said: “Online sales have grown steadily over the last year with a twelve month average change of 12.7% year on year which is testament to the great British online retail offering. However the April 2014 growth of 11.2% against 12.8% in March shows that, when an opportunity like the Easter holiday arises, customers like to enjoy a great experience in store.
“Retailers know that customers want to experience shopping across all channels and have risen to the challenge of using digital technology to draw customers into new format stores where everything is available at the touch of a button.”
David McCorquodale, head of retail, KPMG, said: “While the Easter break helped the high street, the sunshine proved to be something of a distraction to the online channel, which saw sales slow, with just over 16% of non-food items bought online. While this is a fall on previous months’ levels, it is an expected blip and reminds us that when the sun shines and people are on holiday, they are still attracted by the theatre of the store. Now the Easter bank holiday season has passed, I expect online sales to continue unabated.”
