The proportion of online sales rose to 29.4 per cent in June, its highest level since April 2021, according to new data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) retail sales bulletin.
Overall retail sales volumes climbed by 1 per cent in June 2026, following a 1.2 per cent rise in May.
Non-store retailers, the category made up predominantly of online sellers, saw sales volumes jump 4.4 per cent over the month, the sector’s biggest monthly boost in some time.
The ONS said that the heatwave, sales promotions and the football World Cup all played their part, with strong demand for outdoor products, air conditioning units, clothing and sports merchandise.
Clothing and footwear sales rose by 1.9 per cent over the month, their biggest monthly rise since September 2025.
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It wasn’t just the volume of ecommerce that grew, either. The amount spent online jumped 3.8 per cent in Q2 (April to June) compared with Q1 (January to March). It also increased 11.7 per cent on Q2 2025.
Within the monthly figures, online spending values rose by 2.8 per cent over the month to June 2026, a very healthy increase of 14.4 per cent compared with June 2025.
The data suggests shoppers weren’t just switching from the High Street to the same items online, they were prepared to spend more freely too.
While ecommerce sales were boosted, UK retail footfall fell, amid the record heatwave in June.
Total UK footfall decreased by 3.4 per cent in June year-on-year, down from -2.6 per cent in May, according to the latest BRC-Sensormatic data.
High street footfall dipped 6.2 per cent YoY in June, from -1.5 per cent the month before. Retail park footfall dropped by 0.3 per cent in June YoY, from -0.5 per cent in May.
With high temperatures set to continue this week, the balance between ecommerce and physical retail in July could once again swing towards online.
Image by Julio Lopez on Unsplash
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