The findings of a sample of 278 businesses of new data from Fresh Relevance show a revenue increase of 60 percent for online retail in the last month.
Online sales fairly increased in the first week of March, only to jump in the following weeks of the month when the UK government introduced the national lockdown rules.
Ecommerce businesses that have seen the greatest growth are toys and games with a rise in revenue to 341 percent, then food and drink businesses and tobacco and vaping sector, both rising to over 200 percent of the normal revenue.
Other sectors experiencing dramatic growth are home and garden, technology and sports and hobbies, with the revenue increasing between 150 and 200 percent compared to the beginning of the month of March.
Changing customer habits have affected office supplies, jewellery and luxury goods, as well as insurance and finance business which have recorded a fall in revenue by 20 to 40 percent.
Mike Austin, CEO & co-founder of Fresh Relevance comments: “The COVID-19 pandemic has seen consumers’ day-to-day routines and habits change dramatically as a result of social distancing measures implemented across the globe. Whilst the impact across the retail sector as a whole has been varied, the temporary closure of many physical stores and self-isolation of consumers has created opportunities for a number of ecommerce verticals. For most of us, the home now serves as a place for work, schooling, exercise and relaxation, and shopping habits in March were hugely reflective of this as everyone was forced to adapt.”