John Lewis recently released its second annual retail report titled ‘How We Shop, Live and Look‘. Based on an analysis of data over a year, the British department store has revealed the nation‘s shopping habits, which include an increase in early hours online shopping.
According to the findings, online sales between the hours of midnight and 6am are up by around 31%. These transactions are most likely placed on smartphones or tablets which are fast becoming the go-to method of buying. The report found that the most notable shift over the past 12 months came from mobile traffic which, on Christmas Day 2013, overtook desktop purchases for the first time. The growth of mobile and tablet conversion is largely buoyed by the John Lewis app which continues to rise in popularity. With the option to buy a mere click away, perhaps there is more room for impulsive buys.
Conclusions in the report were drawn based on real data from thousands of John Lewis customer transactions online and in store between August 2013 and July 2014. The report states that 53% of web traffic to the retailer‘s website now comes from smartphones and tablets.
While these devices play a large role in the growth of transactions, it‘s the mixture of purchase channels and delivery options that are key to the department store‘s success. Convenience is vital for today‘s consumers who are “leading increasingly fast-paced and varied lives” according to managing director Andy Street.
In order to accommodate shoppers‘ needs for a way to collect orders easily, John Lewis is opening a ‘Click & Commute‘ shop in St Pancras station this Autumn – a welcome solution for busy workers.
It is however, stated that “the shop itself is as important to customers as online” thanks to the percentage of sales carried out in shops which account for approximately 70% of all transactions.
Other significant finds comprise of Sunday taking the most online purchases overall, while on a Friday, customers seem to make their most informed buying decisions this is the day with the highest value of online sales.
It seems fitting that the report comes about just as John Lewis was awarded the Omni-channel Retailer of the Year award by the World Retail Congress 2 weeks ago.
