Warm weather drives online fashion sales to record heights

The warm weather spell which took place throughout April has lead to a record boost in online spend for apparel and footwear within the UK, making last month's growth the best since October 2014, according to the latest data from the BRC-KPMG Online Retail Sales Monitor.

The online sales of non-food products grew 15.4 percent in April compared to the same period one year ago, with the fashion categories achieving "record performances." 25.9 percent of apparel in the UK was purchased online last month, a 4.0 percentage increase from the same month last year. Online clothing sales flourished as the warm weather encouraged UK consumers to bulk up their wardrobes for the summer period ahead, with clothing being the largest contributor to online sales growth since the BRC-KPMG begun its records in December 2012.

"This is the best online growth since October, which brings the three-month average roughly in line with the twelve-month average of 12.5 percent," commented Helen Dickinson, Director General, British Retail Consortium. "Considering that almost one pound in every five is spent online for non-food goods, the growth figure is testament to the great British online retail offering. Indeed April recorded the highest contribution to overall growth of non-food since December 2013."

"Fashion particularly strongly, with three of these categories – clothing, footwear and health & beauty – achieving their best online growth for over two years, while stores also displayed healthy sales increases for those products. Retailers will welcome this result achieved without significantly higher promotional activities." Several fashion retailers noted that focused promotional messaging, combined with seasonably themed online fashion edits helped drive clothing sales.

Footwear was notably the second fastest growing category in April and reached its strongest sales growth since December 2012. Online retailers witnessed strong demand across their footwear collections, claiming the regional weather changes helped make both boots and sandals relevant products to purchase. The women's footwear category witnessed the biggest growth.

"The online channel recovered in April to record its best month for half a year and contributed significantly to retail sales growth," added David McCorquodale, Head of Retail, KPMG, "This month’s figures highlight that online sales remain a crucial pillar of retailers’ revenues and an important channel for the consumer. With a majority Government now in place, retailers will welcome the stability which allows them to invest with confidence in omnichannel capabilities and adapt to changing consumer demands."