Online clothing sales in July experienced its lowest year-on-year growth for 2018, as England’s exit from the World Cup on 11th July and an early heatwave had adverse effects on consumer spending.
Research from Capgemini and IMRG found the clothing sector was the most affected by the range of unpredictable events seen in July, including England’s soaring temperatures and sudden exit from the World Cup.
Clothing experienced its lowest year-on-year growth for the year of just 7.5 per cent, below the five year average of 11.8 per cent.
Within those statistics, footwear dropped by 30.6 per cent year-on-year growth and accessories by 13.4 per cent – the most significant decreases seen since 2013.
“The British weather is often the cause of much misery or joy for British retail, and July was no different,” said strategy and insight director at IMRG Andy Mulcahy.
He went on to point out that the main beneficiary of the prolonged heatwave had been the garden sector, which experienced a 22.4 per cent year-on-year growth, in contrast to the home sector, who saw a 5.8 per cent drop in growth.
“The positive weather, which started in May, has transformed the garden sector’s 2018 performance into an impressive 24.5% year-to-date growth,” Mulcahy added.
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