Online sales increase against economy slowdown

The latest figures show that retail sales in the UK dropped 0.9% in July on a like-for-like basis compared with the previous year. Thus sales have now fallen in four of the past five months.

However the sharpest monthly decline since records began fell on June when sales on the high street dropped 3.9%.

Irrespective of the universal slump online retailers were not injured as in first half of the current year internet shopping sales increased to a record £26.5bn.

As per predictions of some experts online sales are to make up44% of all sales by 2020 and to achieve the point of £163bn spent per year.

At the moment British consumers spend more than three days a year (1.6 hours a week) for online shopping which makes this activity more popular than banking, listening to the radio and downloading music.

The British Retail Consortium (BRC) and KPMG figures suggest that in spite of shops offering continued discounts and promotions shoppers are unlikely to part with their cash.

"Frivolous shopping is off the agenda as most customers concentrate on value and durability and there are few signs the slowdown has yet bottomed out," said Stephen Robertson, BRC director-general.

According to Joanne Denney-Finch, IGD chief executive people are changing their shopping habits to save money.