Online sales growth hits record high in UK in November

By

Cajsa Lykke Carlson

Published
Dec 16, 2015

Online spend in the UK grew 40% month-on-month in November, a record increase, helped by Black Friday and smartphone sales.

According to IMRG, shoppers compensated for withholding spending in October - which recorded its lowest ever annual growth - by focusing on online shopping during the Black Friday period.

The growth of mobile retail drove the increase in online spend, with purchases made via a smartphone accounting for 32% of all mobile commerce sales. That is a record high for smartphone sales. Year-on-year, sales made on a smartphone rose by 97%. However, purchases made on tablets fell to a record low of 12%.

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Though the index is for all of November, 35% of all sales were in the final week, commencing 22nd November, which included Black Friday.

Alex Smith-Bingham, Head of Digital, Consumer Products and Retail, Capgemini, commented: “It’s becoming clearer that Black Friday is the on-line retailer’s day, taking sales away from the High Street and out competing their multichannel counterparts. The significant shift to smartphones shows that those with a mobile-first strategy across the customer journey are at a distinct advantage. The results in December will tell whether the success for on-line retailers is limited to the day or the two week period."