Published
Apr 16, 2015
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UK online sales grew at slowest rate ever in Q1

Published
Apr 16, 2015

UK online retail sales growth was slower than ever in 2015's first quarter, according to new statistics from the IMRG Capgemini e-Retail Sales Index.

Online sales increased by 9% year-on-year in March and was up 11% on February 2015, meaning that the Index has recorded only single-digit growth for each month in Q1 2015 – the first time this has happened in any quarter.


The total first quarter in 2015 saw online sales increase by just 7% compared to Q1 2014. However, this is on the back of a strong performance in Q1 last year.

Mobile sales are largely driving growth, up 9% on the previous month in March and 46% on March 2014. In 2015's first quarter, mobile sales saw an increase of 38% on the same period last year.

Adgild Hop, Principal, Head of Retail Consulting, Capgemini commented: "After a rather unsteady start to the year, March’s return to growth, albeit a relatively conservative one, will be much welcomed by the UK’s online retailers."

"The influence of sales via a tablet or smartphone, which are in effect the main vehicles for growth in the index, is a clear indication of just how valuable mobile platforms have become to the retail customer experience. If it weren’t for mobile, the overall trends for e-retail would be neutral at best. Retailers therefore need to expect that as online propositions become increasingly commoditised, the secret to differentiation and competitive advantage increasingly resides in the mobile customer experience."
 

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