Predicted August riots sales slump didn’t happen as fashion led High Street’s fightback

Retailers had been bracing themselves for a significant fall in High Street sales following anti-immigration riots and unrest in a number of UK cities in early August. In fact, sales volumes climbed by 1% thanks to the belated arrival of warmer weather, says the home delivery expert Parcelhero.

High Street retailers will be breathing a sigh of relief as the widespread civil unrest in many UK town centres in early August failed to dent overall retail sales. August’s Office for National Statistics (ONS) results reveal a 1% rise in retail sales volumes (the amount we all bought). As anti-immigration protests fizzled in the wake of counter-protests and swift legal action, Brits returned to the stores.

The home delivery expert Parcelhero says the (eventual) arrival of warmer weather meant clothes stores led the sales rise. Clothing and footwear sales volumes rose 2.9% overall and fashionistas spent 4.4% more on apparel online than in July.

Parcelhero’s head of consumer research, David Jinks MILT, says: ‘Civil unrest during early August did not have the significant impact on retail sales that many experts had predicted. That’s due in large part to the surge in High Street clothing sales. Dedicated followers of fashion also helped push a 0.3% rise in non-store (largely internet) sales volumes over July’s results.

‘Even though the amount Brits spent online as a whole remained flat (0.0%) compared to the previous month, we spent 4.4% more on clothing online than in soggy July. Online’s overall performance is particularly impressive when compared to August 2023. Online sales values (the amount we all spent) soared by 4.3% year-on-year.

‘Overall, retailers will be relieved that looting and protests in early August didn’t dent the resurgence in High Street sales following the (revised) jump of 0.7% in sales volumes in July. E-commerce retailers will be pleased that online’s overall proportion of retail sales has held at 27.6%, down only fractionally on July’s 27.8% market share.

‘It’s those stores with a combined High Street and online offering that are most protected against unexpected events and the vagaries of the British weather. 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