Retail rebalances in April
April’s ONS retail figures show store sales bouncing back from the ropes, but the momentum is still with e-commerce, says ParcelHero.
Results revealed sales values rose 43.4% year-on-year against April 2020, the first full month of Lockdown 1, and 9.9%% month-on-month over March 2021, but online sales fell back by 5.6% compared to March.
ParcelHero’s head of consumer research, David Jinks M.I.L.T., said: “All this is hugely encouraging and shows consumers still want to visit physical stores if they can feel safe. There’s no doubt that the success of Britain’s vaccination campaign has done a lot to increase public confidence. Online sales are still an enormous 31.9% higher than they were a year ago in April 2020.
“Ultimately, the fight between online and in-store sales must end in a draw. An omnichannel sales strategy, embracing both shop and online sales, with both services complementing the other, is the only way forward.”
