Online sales in January were sluggish but still recorded a positive 5% growth year on year. The start of the year is traditionally slow in the post-Christmas period and cannot compete with the pre-Christmas rush and this year’s heavy discounting and VAT beating campaigns.
Online Sales Still Competing Strongly
Online clothing sales however continued to compete well with a 10% year on year increase. Multichannel shoppers (predominantly high street with an online presence) however experienced a 27% decrease while exclusively high street had a 14% decline of the same period.
It would appear therefore that exclusively online continues to present the best option.
Fashion Industry Round Up
- Selfridges however is not driven away from the above stats and is the latest high street brand to start multichannel shopping with the impending launch of their online ecommerce site.
- Gap is another brand migrating online and revealed that it plans to launch an ecommerce store in the UK later this year. The online store, will have a UK distribution centre and will serve the UK and nine other western European countries selling both Gap-branded fashion items and its Banana Republic clothing. In 2009, Gap debuted online through online fashion retailer Asos.
- Shop Direct recently launched Very in July 2009 aiming to meet the demands of internet savvy customers in mind and gives customers the opportunity to link with a social network of 'Very Insiders' and exchange tips and ideas. This site combines ecommerce and social media optimisation.
- French Connection is also breaking into social media launching a competition asking men to try to get a date on Chatroulette as part of its The Man, The Woman campaign. Chatroulette has recently experienced criticism because of inappropriate behaviour but French Connection remain undeterred as do many other leading brands who recognise the value of mixing traditional and digital marketing strategies.
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