May 04
Latest market figures show how convenience fascias are making gains.
Jun 11
In an attempt to beat the credit crunch, hard-pressed shoppers have gone coupon crazy. The number of people using money-off vouchers in retail outlets has increased by 30% in a year. 75% of people said increases in food prices and the cost of living was the reason for the shift in shopping behaviour.
Source: The Sun 11-06-2008
May 19
According to a survey by Co-operative Bank Credit Cards, Brits spend £550,000 each on Saturdays alone during their lifetime.
The average person spends £175 every Saturday on food, alcohol and shopping. Over a lifetime, this adds up to more than half a million pounds. Women spend even more than men on Saturdays – an average of £193 a week, compared with the mens’ £168.
Apr 09
The home shopping market will account for around a third of all retail sales in the UK, with the Internet accounting for around 30% alone according to a new report.
Key Note believes that the market for home shopping will continue to expand at a rapid, albeit decelerating pace over the next 5 years.The expansion of e-commerce and, in particular, the Internet, will be the key factor driving overall growth in the home shopping market for the foreseeable future. It is possible that the general mail-order sector will completely converge with the Internet by 2012, while direct sales are likely to begin to decline. Even so, many consumers continue to regard shopping as a leisure activity and also enjoy the opportunity to buy some goods, such as clothes, personally so that they can try them on. This will inevitably limit growth at some point. Another factor which may come into play is the environmental one – it is clearly less harmful to have one van delivering goods to a number of people, than to have individual vehicles travelling to and from the shops with their purchases.
Mar 28
Tesco has stores in all but one postcode area of the UK after buying three stores in the Northern and Western Isles of Scotland. The stores were bought from Somerfield and expands the supermarket giant’s reach into every postcode area of the UK except Harrogate in Yorkshire. Source: Grocer 28-03-2008
Mar 20
Using Easter sales data from the last five years ASDA has pinpointed the exact hour of the year when most of the UK start their home improvements – 10 -11am Good Friday.
Over the entire Easter Bank Holiday weekend ASDA is predicting a DIY frenzy with sales of hardware items set to increase by on average, 32% over the four day break. And this year, following storms which lashed the country, sales are expected to be even higher than last year. As Easter is early this year sales of torches and low energy light bulbs are expected to rise as keen home improvers carry on into the early evening.
Mar 08
According to the Entertainment Retailers Association (ERA) record stores are now selling more films and games than music. Two thirds of sales are now accounted for by DVD and computer games. UK music sales have fallen by more than 30% since 2000, while DVD and game sales have increased by 80%.
It is estimated that around 170 independent record shops have closed recently as a result of declining music sales. Big chains like Music Zone and Choices folded while cut-price specialist Fopp has also been forced to shut stores.
Feb 25
Mothering Sunday is expected to be worth £1.6 billion to UK retailers this year, an increase of six per cent on 2007
An estimated £85 million worth of greeting cards will be sold with flowers as the most popular gift at a total cost of £230 million.