Allowing non-essential shops to re-open to the public has been a massive boost for the retail industry, with sales having jumped the greatest amount since May 2018.
According to the latest British Retail Consortium(BRC)-KPMG Retail Sales Monitor figures for June, the government’s decision to ease lockdown restrictions and enable shoppers to hit their favourite stores last month has resulted in a significant improvement for the sector.
At the end of March, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced all non-essential stores had to close to limit the spread of Covid-19, and they were only allowed to welcome the public again on June 15th, having remained shut for nearly three months.
Consequently, consumers flocked to the high street, causing UK sales to rise by 3.4 per cent from May, representing the largest monthly increase since May 2018. As well as people making the most of the stores re-opening, online sales have also risen from May to June.
BRC chief executive Helen Dickinson said: “June finally saw a return to growth in total sales, primarily driven by online as a result of lockdown measures being eased and pent-up demand being released.”
She went on to say: “Despite footfall still being well below pre-coronavirus levels, average spend was up as consumers made the most of their occasional shopping trips.”
While this is good news for the retail industry, with UK sales having increased by a huge 10.9 per cent on a like-for-like basis against June 2019, Ms Dickinson stated “retail is not out of the woods yet”.
Despite supermarket sales remaining strong over lockdown, with food transactions having surged by 7.3 per cent on a like-for-like basis, non-food sales dropped by 46.8 per cent over the quarter.
Although there has been a big demand for computing, furniture and home improvement products, head of retail at KPMG Paul Martin noted that “fashion sales haven’t rebounded quite as impressively, despite reports of increased interest from those prepared to queue to enter stores”.
That is why retailers should consider doing everything they can to encourage more people to enter their stores and part with their money.
Making the outside of your front look more appealing can go a long way in doing this, helping to boost sales by attracting consumers who had not gone out with the purpose of purchasing something.
You can make a big difference to the appearance of your store with shop front spraying, changing the signage or displaying promotional offers in your windows.
While some people might still be cautious about heading out to the shops with the virus hanging around, there could be good news for retailers at the end of the month.
Johnson has just announced all shoppers will have to wear a face covering from July 24th when in stores to reduce the spread of coronavirus. Those who do not wear a covering face fines of up to £100, with shop workers expected to prompt customers to put their masks on, reported BBC News.
This could reassure members of the public when out shopping, and could enable more to feel safe on the high street, helping to boost retail sales even more.
