E-Commerce Sales Still at "Christmas+ Levels"

Despite the easing of lockdown measures and the reopening of brick-and-mortar retail stores, deliveries of products bought online are 'still at Christmas+ levels', according to a spokesperson for ParcelHero. Store-visitor numbers remain at a low level as people continue to buy online: though this is clearly more bad news for the high street, it's excellent news for the world of ecommerce.

In this edition of our blog, we look at how COVID-19 has impacted on four different retail businesses.

• Halfords. A spokesperson for the UK's leading retailer of cycling and motoring products said that recent investment in a new ecommerce platform has 'paid off'. The company reported, compared to last year, online sales had risen by 200% in Q1, representing a period entirely during the lockdown.
• JD Sports. A 30% rise in sales at JD Sports has been credited to investment in a multichannel model, for which that has been 'strong consumer demand'. Though the company 'still sees a role' for its brick-and-mortar retail stores, it has warned that rents must be 'more flexible in future', especially if social distancing rules remain in place.
• AO. Chief Executive of AO John Roberts reported that the company had seen 'five years of channel shift in five weeks'. He commented on how important it has been to adapt quickly to COVID-19 and also said that shopping habits may have 'changed long-term'.
• John Lewis. Since 1864, John Lewis has been a prominent retailer on the British high street. This looks set to quickly change with the announcement of a number of store closures, which will result in the loss of 1,300 jobs. Online sales are expected to rise by a least 70% over the next two years. 

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