Submitted by: Jonathan Stones
MILLIONS of drinkers are turning to the internet to enjoy a tipple and stock up on alcohol, according to the latest online shopping figures.
Online alcohol sales in the UK have rocketed 25 per cent in the last year with the average booze-laden basket totaling a jeroboam 161, a leading e-commerce monitor has found.
That almost doubles the average internet check-out price for a basket of beers, wines and spirits bought this time last year, when drinkers only spent around 85 when they shopped online.
Internet alcohol sales in May also rose five per cent from the month before, according to e-retail’s Interactive Media in Retail Group (IMRG), despite the UK partying through April to celebrate the royal wedding and good weather.
Britons have increased spending on off-license alcohol as slow economic growth keeps people at home, but the number of drinkers choosing to order their drinks through the internet has also risen.
Online price transparency and a boom in web warehouses selling discounted drink and providing home delivery has also fuelled the migration of drinkers online.
Tina Spooner, Director of Information at IMRG, said: Online is continuing to set the pace in retail, with both clothing and alcohol e-retailers performing particularly well.
However, we are seeing a pretty clear split between the sectors selling low-cost products and those selling high-value ones.
The watchdog’s findings came days after online alcohol merchants Majestic Wines Plc reported pre-tax profits of 27 per cent and announced plans to double in size.
Taken from its Capgemini e-Retail Sales Index, the latest figures from IMRG showed healthy e-retail growth as sales of clothes through internet shopping channels have increased 24 per cent in the last 12 months.
The UK travel industry also saw online purchases rise by 12 per cent from last year.
Shoppers were estimated to have spent 5.3 billion through e-commerce in May, equating to each person spending 85 online last month. That spend is 18 per up on last year and two per cent on April.
Statistics like those show e-retail in an especially healthy light when compared with the latest signals from the offline shopping, which show a very weak performance in May.
The British Retail Consortium’s findings released earlier this month showed high street earnings down 0.3 per cent on last year and down 2.1 per cent on April.
As a group multi-channel retailers, who trade both in the high street and online, grew faster than online-only retailers in May.
Chris Webster, head of retail consulting and technology at Capgemini, said: May was another strong month for online retail with sales jumping 18 per cent on this time last year.
It is important to note the emerging disparity between the big ticket items, such as travel and electrical goods, and the less expensive items, like clothing and alcohol.
May also highlighted some interesting trends in shopping behaviour. While the high street suffers in the wake of the struggling economy, consumers continue to migrate online.
But Cameron McLean, general manager for merchant services at PayPal, felt a multi-channel retail approach that gave consumers the flexibility of shopping when they want and how they want, was essential for businesses, as such strategies had led to a 23 per cent year-on-year performance, according the IMRG Capgemini index figures.
He added: With many online shoppers seeing the best value online, and online retail sales figures increasing, a strong multi-channel retailing strategy is essential for businesses to not only offer a range of options for shoppers but also to attract new shoppers.
About the Author: Jonathan Stones is a journalist and copy writer for online and offline media. To learn more about e-commerce and price intelligence solutions visit
skuuudle.com
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Source:
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