UK Textiles & Clothing Sector Sees Online Sales Surge During Pandemic
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The Office For National Statistics’ latest figures highlight the continuing growth in online retailing for the UK Textiles & Clothing sector.
March 2021, according to the Office For National Statistics, saw another substantial increase in online sales volumes for Textiles.
The Textile, Clothing And Footwear sector had the largest uptick, registering a 10.9% growth in March 2021 alone.
This was the largest monthly growth in the sector since June 2020 with feedback from retailers suggesting that the upcoming easing of coronavirus restrictions had prompted consumers to update their wardrobes in preparation for being able to meet friends and family outdoors again.
In general, the proportion of online retailing at 34.7% of total UK Retail sales, remained largely stable, yet still represented a 65% increase total volume from the 23.1% recorded in February 2020, before the Pandemic began.
E-Commerce Outlook
The growth in online selling has been one of the commercial success stories of the Pandemic, with multiple sources from Spoonflower to Printful and from ASOS to Boohoo reporting a seismic shift upwards in online demand.
The online sector has seen five years of growth in just 12 months with surveys predicting that over three quarters of current online shoppers will continue buy online in a post- pandemic world.
Simply put, the public have discovered the ease and convenience of buying online, and although they won’t be able to ‘feel’ or ‘see’ their purchase before buying, they now have sufficient confidence in the quality, speed and value of online offers, that, according to many sources, the online boom will maintain its position, and continue to grow.
However, as the UK lockdown eases, and retail stores open for business, the online retailer must prepare for a period of uncertainty.
Most commentators say that online sales will now re-adjust, but not to pre-pandemic levels, because the online offer has achieved so much credibility during the period and demonstrated a winning proposition both for consumer and producer.
About The Office For National Statistics
The ONS are the UK’s largest independent producer of official statistics and its recognised national statistical institute.
They are responsible for collecting and publishing statistics related to the economy, population and society at national, regional and local levels.
They also conduct the census in England and Wales every 10 years.
Their main responsibilities are collecting, analysing and disseminating statistics about the UK's economy, society and population.
Their range of economic, social and population statistics are published in over 600 releases a year.
