Following in the footsteps of Argos and Tesco, Aldi has launched its own computer tablet…

… and it’s already sold out

Described as cheap, slow and kid-friendly by the Guardian, this tablet costs just £80, making it the cheapest on the market. It’s launch was yesterday and Aldi has already sold out of the LifeTab, showing that there is a real market there.

Due to the lower resolution of the screen, the LifeTab is much more fuzzy to look at when compared to Tesco’s Hudl or the Amazon Fire. However, at the price of £79.99 it’s clearly an obvious option for people who want something they don’t have to be too precious about.

Aldi LifeTab Specifications

Screen: 7in LCD with 1024 x 600 pixels
Processor: 1.6GHz quad-core processor
RAM: 1GB of RAM
Storage: 8GB plus microSD slot supporting up to 64GB cards
Operating system: Android 4.2.2
Camera: 2-megapixel rear camera, 0.3-megapixel front-facing camera
Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, micro USB
Dimensions: 192 x 122 x 10.8mm

Looking at these specifications, it’s clear that the pull is the low price, and as the Know Your Mobile website says: Say Hello To The UK’s Cheapest Tablet.

Shopper Discounts and Rewards reports on the 99p Stores’ expansion, backed by Barclays

As retailers and consumers struggle in the current economy, Pound-land type stores are often the popular go-to for bargain purchases. This week, the 99p and pound stores concept have seen very public support as Barclays acknowledged its confidence in the company 99p Store, by extending its banking facilities to £25m.

70 new stores by the end of 2015

This financial backing will see the 99p Stores rolling out 70 new stores, taking the company’s number of stores to a grand total of 310.

Nadir Lalani, chief executive of 99p Stores Limited, said:

“This package of growth finance from Barclays will allow us to move quickly to the next stage of growth through an accelerated new store opening programme giving more consumers in more locations access to our proposition of quality goods for under a pound.”

success story began in 2001

Founded in 2001, 99p Stores now welcome approximately 2 million customers through their doors each week. On top of that, the company also owns 30 Family Bargains outlets and the €uro 50 Stores chain in the Republic of Ireland.

Glen McDonald, Relationship Director at Barclays Northampton and Milton Keynes:

“99p Stores and Family Bargains is a fantastic success story in what is a very challenging environment for retailers.”

Have you ever shopped at 99p Stores or Family Bargains outlets? What has your experience been?

Aldi Launches LifeTab Tablet and Sells Out in 24 Hours | John Lewis ReWorked Winner

John Lewis Oxford Street becomes first store in the world to join Google Street View

nose around the John Lewis flagship store online

In what might seem a strange choice for John Lewis, the retailer has invited Google Street View to map the inside of the store online. Giving customers the chance to browse, and get an idea of where to head to when they get to the store, might persuade people to visit.

reporting a rise in sales

Last week, John Lewis reported a 1.4% rise in sales year-on-year, which may be a result of their Christmas campaign around The Bear and The Hare. The Retail Bulletin reported that in the week ending 15 December sales reached £149.9 million, which was an increase of 3.7% on the previous week.

John Lewis retail director Andrew Murphy, says:

“We intend to keep investing and innovating this Christmas so that our shops remain compelling and hassle-free places for customers, offering multiple reasons to visit them. Partly this will see us use an increasing amount of technology to make shopping easier and offer more “in shop help”. But this is also going to be about offering inspiring experiences.”

The Making Of The Bear And The Hare | John Lewis #ReWorked Competition Winner

Shopper Discounts and Rewards: Introducing the new Box Office service from… Debenhams!

for theatre trips, spa days and more…

Going to the theatre – especially the pantomime – is a poplar activity during Christmas. It’s a great chance for family and friends to get together and go to see something magical brought to life on stage. Debenhams has launched a new project that could change the theatre-going experience for us this Christmas. Today, the Shopper Discounts and Rewards blog looks at how British retailer has moved into the ticketing space.

Debenhams – the new box office?

After piloting the service in September, Debenhams has launched its own box office as part of its existing retail site. We can now buy tickets for gigs, sporting events, the theatre, spa breaks and other leisure and entertainment activities direct from Debenhams.com, making it a one-stop-shop for Christmas gifts. Debenham claims that this is set to be the broadest and most comprehensive event booking service available on the web, and is also the first time a retailer has launched a ticketing service integrated into its own site.

what you can expect

The box office is accessed via the main Debenhams site and features local, regional and national events from music to sport, beauty treatments and special gift experiences. Featuring a search option where you can enter your postcode to find events happening in a twenty-five mile radius around your local area, you can also search by date and category and receive discounts and offers when you sign up. Beyond being a one-stop-shop for events far in the future, the box office also aims to be a source of inspiration for last-minute weekend activity planning.

reinvigorating your local area?

Registered users also receive a weekly bespoke ebulletin featuring events coming up in their local area. The focus on local activities is a main draw for the site, making it easier for us to find and engage with events happening closer to home which we might have otherwise been unaware of. And with over half of venue seats in the UK currently going unsold, Debenhams hopes to offer tickets to thousands of events and activities, reinvigorating local communities along the way via its online site and app expected in the New Year.

Will you use Debenhams’ box office to buy your next Christmas gig or theatre tickets? And do you welcome a platform which brings you events and activities closer to home? Shopper Discounts and Rewards wants to hear from you.

Welcome to Your Local Online Shopping Centre | Fashion for Men Booms Online

Sainsbury’s Use Bloggers To Suggest Healthy Food Choices | Shopper Discounts and Rewards

a new year, a new marketing campaign for Sainsbury’s

The supermarket is ushering in the New Year with a six-week TV and print campaign called “Make Your Roast Go Further”, all focused around creative ways to utilise leftovers.

celebrity chefs out, local food heroes in

Following customer feedback, the supermarket has opted for local food heroes – food-loving bloggers who have an impressive presence in certain communities or online. The bloggers starring include Jack Monroe who concentrates on budget options, Pam Clarkson who serves up Christmas lunch for those in need, Nick Coffer who is an author of two cookery books on low-cost healthy eating, and Regina Sabur-Cross, offering up Asian-influenced recipes.

Local Food Heroes used for Sainsburys Marketing Campaign - Shopper Discounts and Rewards

Sarah Warby, Marketing Director said to Marketing Week

“Our four genuine ‘food lovers’, with families of their own, are making the most of their food to manage tight budgets. All are ‘local food heroes’ who’ve built up their influence from the grassroots within their own communities, so it’s great to give them a broader platform to share their approaches.”

showing consumers how to make their food go further

It’s a topic that’s increasingly popular, as disposable incomes get smaller and budgets grow tighter. The focus on value has been on the forefront of all supermarkets’ marketing strategies, as the big four face growing competition from lower-priced discount chains such as Aldi and Lidl, who have both increased their market share in the past year.

the old adage: waste not, want not

The campaign encourages consumers to waste less by creating new meals out of leftovers. But Sainsbury’s is not the only supermarket to talk about food waste; Tesco has talked about it too. According to Tesco, the supermarket wasted 28,500 tonnes of food in its stores and distribution centres (and that’s just in the first six months of this year), which has led them to plan a re-think of its bakery and fruit aisles.

On the timing of their new campaign, Warby said: “January’s a good time for us all to remind ourselves how to waste less and love our leftovers.”

We would love to hear your thoughts on this initiative. Let us know!

Debenhams Launches Online Box Office | John Lewis Oxford Street Joins Street View

30% off for the day as M&S fight for the High Street | Shopper Discounts & Rewards

The hefty reductions are expected to apply to clothing and shoe lines, and this drastic move is an indicator of the health of the UK high street. M&S is also running this online.

The Daily Mail reports that this is the first time that M&S has run a one-off festive sale across so many items since 2008, when the financial crash caused a collapse in consumer confidence.

one big high street sale

M&S is not the only high street chain to try a flash sale around the festive season, with H&M offering customers 50% then 60% off some items, and Debenhams and House of Fraser also holding Christmas sales.

Broker UBS cut its forecasts for M&S shaving three per cent of full year profit for 2014 and as much as 8 per cent off 2015, with higher cuts to Debenhams.

Analyst Andrew Hughes says:

“The clothing retailers look to have pressed the panic button this year as subdued real disposable income, weak footfall and warmer weather have held back full price sales.”

Sainsbury’s to use Food Bloggers in 2014 | John Lewis Oxford St. on Google Street View

Christmas is upon us: we look at how popular online shopping has been this festive season

Christmas is a time of year that sees a big rise in shopping. We’re all a bit more willing to loosen the purse strings and splash out on some of the best buys for our loved ones and for ourselves. This year has been no exception. But what we find particularly interesting is how the online and mobile spheres become more and more important for Christmas shoppers every year.

shopping for Christmas dinner online

Many retailers saw the trend for online preference coming this year and deliberately stepped up their push into online sales ahead of the busy shopping season. For example, Morrisons began accelerating its home delivery service back in October, reaching out to all of us who wouldn’t have enough time to push and shove our way through supermarkets in hunt of the turkey and sprouts for Christmas dinner. This move was a result of a partnership struck in May between Ocado and Morrisons, who previously had no online delivery service.

his master’s Christmassy voice

Similarly, HMV made a dramatic return to the UK scene in October, with a big re-launch of its online store. HMV had not traded online since its collapse in January, but this come-back in late 2013 was set to put them head-to-head with internet giants such as Amazon.

preferring to shop online this Christmas

So, because so many of us turn to online shopping to buy things, the value of products sold on the internet has been predicted to smash previous expectations during the festive season. Research carried out by eDigitalResearch and IMRG found that 25% of consumers say online shopping beats in-store at Christmas. Better product ranges and special deals were found to attract online shoppers, who want to avoid crowded stores, checkout queues and sparse staffing.

mobile and tablet shopping

One of the reasons that our Christmas’ has been more online than ever before is the increasingly popular smartphones and tablets, which allow easy internet access for quick online shopping for all our Christmas goodies! IMRG and eDigitalResearch found that 64% of smartphone owners planned on doing their Christmas shopping from their mobiles. And to tap into this trend of shopping from mobile devices like phones and tablets, many retailers have been setting up mobile-friendly sites so that we can navigate and shop more easily.

Have you been using internet and mobile more for your Christmas shopping this year? Shopper Discounts and Rewards wishes you a very merry Christmas!

Retail News: Debenhams Launches Box Office | Your Local Online Shopping Centre

John Lewis enters their 150th year with a bang, recording a 6.9% sales increase year-on-year

great news for the nation’s favourite retailer

John Lewis has reported sales of £734m in the five weeks leading up to 28th December, a rise of almost 7% on Christmas 2012.

It’s hard to pin point why this growth occurred – could it be their The Bear and The Hare advert with the Reworked competition? Their Oxford Street debut on Google Street View? Or the general growth of high street footfall and online sales that we have seen this year?

Andy Street, Managing Director of John Lewis talks about 2014

“[We] will still be predominantly a UK brand, let’s be absolutely clear about that. I think we will have moved from taking baby steps to slightly more grown up steps internationally.”

Read the full interview on the Telegraph online.

Marketing Magazine: John Lewis Kicks Off 150th Year With Record Sales

What does 2014 hold for eCommerce? Shopper Discounts and Rewards explores

eCommerce is a well-established concept now, with many of us favouring online over the high-street for our shopping needs. With exciting updates made every day to enhance our shopping experience we look at predictions for some innovative new developments which could hit our favourite online stores very soon!

designs just for you

Not only is there a world of choice out there for us discerning shoppers; but some shops are already letting us customise our own designs before we buy. Stores such as Nike will let you design your own shoes, and we should expect more stores to start offering their customers the chance to customise their products according to their own preferences.

human interaction

Whilst online has its own allure, some of us miss having the advice and help of shop assistants. Future eCommerce stores are predicted to offer the best of both worlds, with human online shopping concierges available to help you with your purchases. Underlying personalisation algorithms will allow a real person to make recommendations to you as you shop, making sure you find exactly what you’re looking for.

plan your outfit

For the sartorially challenged-among us, websites will start offering customised fashionable outfits. By combining our feedback alongside digitally collected information on current trends, websites will be able to create us our own perfect outfits. These outfits will be individualised, based on our preferences, and of course, effortlessly on trend.

custom sizing

One of the biggest challenges for online shoppers is knowing whether your purchased item will fit once it arrives. Most online stores have overcome this challenge by offering their customers free or low-cost returns if the item isn’t suitable. However, we believe the future of online shopping will involve customers being able to specify exactly how big they would like their shoes, how dark they would like their sunglasses, or how long they would like their dress to be.

With exciting new innovations happening every day, it’s only a matter of time until the online shopping world has been completely transformed once again. New developments for online stores will only make our eCommerce transactions easier, faster and more aligned with our needs. What are you most excited about?

Shopper Discounts and Rewards wishes you a very happy new year! And we hope you look out for these shopping trends in 2014.

Eat, Drink and Be Merry | Debenhams Launches Its Own Box Office

Morrisons teams up with Ocado to offer online grocery shopping to customers | Retail News

This Shopper Discounts and Rewards blog entry looks at the partnership in more detail.

deliveries starting this month

Although the site was ‘launched’ in December, Morrisons will not be making its first deliveries until 10th January. The supermarket started asking people to ‘register their interest’ as soon as the site was launched. The Midlands will be the retailer’s starting point for their first online delivery venture.

“from market street to your street”

Those interested in using the online service in December would have been prompted to register their details. The message on the site read:

Want great fresh food and groceries with the ease of online shopping? From January 2014, Morrisons.com will be delivering in Warwickshire, then move on to Yorkshire and by the end of the year, we’ll be delivering to more than half of UK homes – including London

fresh food reassurance

Morrisons’ new online grocery proposition will leverage the skills that their in-store bakers and fishmongers can offer. Those ordering their meat online will even be able to choose how their meat is cut and presented, via the Morrisons Academy-trained butchers. Customers will also be given the opportunity to check the freshness of their grocery order, at point of delivery as well as being encouraged to provide feedback directly on the site.

Chief Executive of Morrisons, Dalton Philips

“This fresh food offer will be the closest thing on the internet to being in a store and selecting food yourself. Customers do have concerns about buying fresh food online and today we believe we’ve come up with the answer.” Read more here

Have you registered your interest for this new online grocery site? Let us know!

ECommerce Predictions for 2014 | Sainsbury’s Uses Local Food Bloggers

The Shopper Discounts and Rewards blog explores the top retail trends for the new year

The year ahead holds many exciting things for the world of retail and shopping. To celebrate the start of 2014 we bring you a few of the top trends that we’ll be seeing in retail this year.

1. mobile powered consumers

We are now inseparable from our mobile technology – whether this means smartphones, tablets, phablets or e-readers. We can use mobile devices to browse, explore, order and pay for a vast range of products and services. We also use our mobile devices to share and recommend, and look to other recommendations via social media to inform our own decisions. This reliance on mobile when it comes to shopping is sure to continue and increase this year, as more and more advanced mobile technology becomes available for consumer use. Near Field Communication, geolocation and augmented reality are three of the areas that are sure to thrive and gain momentum.

2. alternative brand currencies

The recent phenomenon of the online currency Bitcoin is a good example of a shift in the online market towards alternative currencies. As our online shopping behaviour evolves, more and more companies will start to offer their products and services in exchange for things other than money. For example, a retailer will offer rewards such as free or discounted goods to customers in exchange for participation in a campaign, or sharing on social media.

3. online food shopping

According to ShopperVista, around a fifth of UK households buy groceries online every month. Of these, a third use online as their main channel for buying food and groceries, with two thirds using it a secondary channel. We predict that this will steadily increase in 2014, as more and more of us see the convenience of buying food online instead of making weekly trips to the supermarket.

4. click-and-collect

This has become a very popular trend for many retailers and will continue to gain momentum as more and more brands decide to introduce the service. A combination of physical and digital commerce, click-and-collect allows us to buy and pay for our products online and then pick them up in a shop that is convenient for us. It eliminates the problem of arranging delivery time to the house for people who are out and about a lot. While many high street shops have taken onto this concept, this year will see more luxury brands introducing it too.

So it looks like this year will bring some exciting things for retail. Do you have any other predictions?

Source:

John Lewis Oxford Street on Google Street View | 99p Stores Receive £25m Backing

Lush reports uplift in like-for-like sales at Christmas & a 50% increase in charity donations

In a trading statement on The Retail Bulletin, the cosmetics retailer said that UK retail sales rose by 13.4% on the same period last year to reach £20 million.

Lush defies the Christmas retail slump

Not only did they enjoy a fantastic Christmas, Lush also reported that its global group turnover rose 11.3% to £362.9 million in the year to 30 June 2013. Benefiting from an increased number of stores – now 910 in 50 countries, the company also reports a like-for-like growth of 3.7% across all of its markets.

Lush increases their charity donations

Lush’s charitable donations for the year increased by almost 50% with Lush partners worldwide donating a total of £3.1 million to charities and other good causes. Lush continues to campaign against animal testing, and released this video early last year:

Kim Coles, Lush Finance Director

“Customers are increasingly appreciating our values and the value of high quality products made with the freshest possible natural ingredients. It’s great to be able to report such encouraging Christmas sales in the same week as filing our strong year-end results. We remain optimistic about the future as we continue to grow the business globally.”

Read more about this story about Lush on Retail Bulletin and the Telegraph Online.

Retail Trends to Look Out For in 2014 | Check out the new Morrisons Online Shop

A Record Christmas for Aldi as they introduce Price Comparison with Swap & Save

but should other food retailers worry?

With the New Year now in full swing, and many families recovering from excessive eating and spending, Aldi’s new Swap & Save campaign is well timed. This week, the Shopper Discounts and Rewards blog discusses the marketing campaign which could leave competitors such as Tesco and Asda hot under the collar.

consumers could save £28 per week

According to Aldi’s recent Swap & Save campaign, shoppers who head to Aldi (vs. other supermarkets) for their weekly food shopping, will save on average £28 per week. It reports that some shoppers could in fact, save anything between £30 and £50!

a multichannel marketing campaign to draw our attention

The Swap & Save challenge has been launched via a series of marketing efforts on print, online and even television. You may have seen the TV adverts that showcase a few families who took part in challenge, it tasked people to see ‘how much they could swap and save’:

the potential for consistent savings

Although the campaign ran for an eight week period, Aldi stands by the claim that these savings would be consistent and not just heightened by promotional periods. The campaign claims that if people switch to Aldi, from one of the big four supermarkets in the UK over a course of a year, they would save on average, £1,400.

Tony Baines, Aldi UK’s Managing Director

“We offer shoppers low prices everyday of the week on the items that they typically buy as part of their weekly shop. This means they are saving money on the products that they regularly buy, instead of being tempted to put extra products in their baskets just because they appear to offer better value”

a record Christmas for Aldi

Whilst they claim that they will offer consistent savings to families switching their weekly food shopping, the Swap & Save campaign has also coincided with the news this week that they also enjoyed a record Christmas in terms of sales. It has been reported that they had their “busiest Christmas since opening in the UK” 20 years ago. The Shopper Discounts and Rewards team will continue to follow the German supermarket’s progress into 2014.

Do you shop in Aldi? What are your thoughts on the Swap & Save challenge?

Lush Cosmetics reports good Christmas sales | Four Retail Trends to look for in 2014

John Lewis sales up 23.6% last week despite bad weather | Shopper Discounts and Rewards

the John Lewis clearance sales drive footfall

As the Retail Bulletin reports, John Lewis said the “horrendous” weather conditions last week did nothing to dampen its clearance trade as sales rose 23.6% on last year.

‘cracking’ post Christmas sales up to 23%

The Guardian: John Lewis reports week to 4 January sales up 23.6% on 2013 to £113.4m while Waitrose enjoyed a 9.3% increase. The clearance sales have been busier than ever, with people braving the bad weather to find discounts at their local John Lewis.

John Lewis also said that fashion, including its own branded clothes, had also performed well, with sales up 28% on last year.

Barry Matheson, Retail Director at John Lewis

“After getting off to a cracking start immediately after Christmas our clearance [sale] performance continued to be strong last week, resulting in an outstanding 23.6% on last year. This was despite horrendous weather conditions throughout the whole of the New Year period which did nothing to deter customers shopping with clicks or in bricks.”

Aldi‘s Swap and Save Campaign | Lush Cosmetics Reports Strong Christmas Sales

ECommerce will be even bigger in 2014 – watch out retailers! Shopper Discounts & Rewards

a great year for shopping online

Shopping online is now more popular in the UK than in any other country in the world, as we each spend an average of £1,083 a year online. But if you thought online shopping was already big, think again – the trend for shopping on the internet is about to get even bigger. For starters, the lines between online and offline retailers are blurring. Most big brands already have an online presence, but we’re likely to see high street names going a step further – entering tie-ups with pure play online retailers to offer pick-up services at partner stores, local pick-up depots and even local corner shops.

back to basics, with a twist

There’s been a lot of chatter recently about new features like virtual dressing rooms and augmented reality apps, and the benefits these can bring to our online shopping experience. But parallel to these exciting new developments in retail technology, we’re also likely to see the strong return of basic functional features like user reviews – with a twist. Video is set to explode, with retailers expected to allow more user-generated content on their sites – letting us see how clothes look on our peers in video reviews.

smart content

We can also expect to see more and more ‘smart content’ – images, videos, live broadcasts, maps and games which are clickable, taking us to places we can purchase the items or content featured. This could be a photograph of an outfit worn by a celebrity on the red carpet, allowing us to buy, or a song featured in a series – where clicking on the video takes you to a digital download. Smart content has the potential to revolutionise the way we shop online.

retail-based social networks

Facebook and Twitter still have more to offer in terms of allowing us to engage with our favourite brands, with many retailers yet to develop their presence on these platforms to allow us to reach out and request information, among other functions. But experts also predict the smaller – yet also significant – growth of purely retail-based social networks, so look out for small new communities of like-minded users in the future.

What do you think the most exciting development in online shopping will be this year?

Four Retail Trends To Look For In 2014 | ECommerce Predictions for Retailers

Luxury Fashion Brand Sees Retail Sales Reach £528 million | Shopper Discounts & Rewards

online sales were key driver of growth

The Retail Bulletin reports that following a strong third quarter, in the three months to 31 December, comparable sales growth was 12% which was in line with the company’s expectations. Burberry says that the offline business remained weak in the period but online sales grew, reflecting changes in consumer behaviour. Customers were also making the most of the click-and-collect option that Burberry now offers.

Burberry sees strong growth in Asia-Pacific

Another reason for the growth, as the BBC reports, is the Asia-Pacific region, which delivered “double-digit comparable sales growth”, the company said, while other regions’ growth was in single figures.

Another reason for growth, as The Telegraph reports, could be in outerwear and accessories. Burberry said that outerwear and large leather goods contributed “about half of mainline growth”, while men’s accessories and tailoring also grew strongly.

Angela Ahrendts, Burberry Chief Executive

“In the all-important festive period, we are pleased with our 12pc comparable sales growth, which was in line with our expectations. This performance reflects continuing strong brand momentum and our team’s intense focus on retail execution, supported by a planned increase in investment in marketing, customer service offline and online and our retail portfolio”

Online Shopping Set To Explode In 2014 | John Lewis Defies Bad Weather With Footfall

Asos has growing trade and continued praise from customers and market experts

strong Christmas sales for Asos

We at Shopper Discounts & Rewards are big fans of the British online retailer Asos. With continued sales growth and critical acclaim for customer experience, as well as consistent expansion of brands and product ranges, it’s hard not to be. This week, the retailer has announced that it saw a strong Christmas trade, posting a total sales rise of 38% (to £335.7m) over a four month period leading up to the end of the year. Today, we look at Asos in more detail, asking what makes it so successful?

its established presence

Can you believe that Asos was founded 14 years ago? Its online model was unique for its time, leading the way for how fashion retailers should operate in the online space. It has stayed true and consistent to the level of service its customers face and continues to offer choice and a high end experience across the browse-to-purchase process. Today, it serves 9 million customers in 237 countries.

Asos Chief Executive Nick Robinson

“These results were driven by significant improvements to our customer proposition, including better delivery options, additional payment methods and the rollout of our premier service in key international markets.”

the Britishness of Asos means the UK is strongest market

We quite like that Asos is a British retailer and are proud to see its global success. The UK remains its biggest market and during the four month period reported on, leading up to 31st December 2013, the retailer saw its UK sales rise 37% to £133.7m. But it wasn’t just the UK market that continues to grow, it also saw sales increase by 69% in Europe and 28% in the US.

its wide range of products

Another reason why the retailer is ever increasing in popularity could be down to the fact that it not only supports a strong own-brand range of clothing and accessories, but also offers over 850 additional brands. Customers have a range of brands at varying prices, therefore offering choice and value comparisons.

As we continue to hear of Asos’s success and we see these reports documenting steady growth rates, we will definitely keep an eye on this online retailer in 2014.

UK December retail sales up 5.3% in surprise Christmas surge | Shopper Discounts & Rewards

an increase of 2.7% on November

Economists were proved wrong over Christmas, as retail sales grew faster than expected in the UK, with customers leaving their festive shopping to the last few weeks of the year. The UK high street benefitted too, with department stores posting a record 8.7% increase in sales.

much better than expected

The figures from the Office of National Statistics (ONS) suggested growth in consumer spending above the expectations of many analysts, with UK retail sales rising more than economists forecast in December, led by a surge at department stores and smaller shops during the key Christmas season.

Bloomberg reports that the annual gain in sales was the biggest in nine years, and the pound strengthened after the data were published. Sterling rose 0.5 percent against the dollar and was trading at $1.6434 as of 9:48 a.m. London time.

Kate Davies from the ONS talks to the BBC

“This December was much better than what we’ve seen in previous years. It’s the small stores that are very much driving growth – they are seeing a consistent gain of 8% annual growth, while large stores are seeing 2.6% growth.”

Retail News: Asos goes from strength to strength | Burberry sales rise in third quarter

Shopper Discounts and Rewards | Amazon Plans Sunday Deliveries for UK Customers

flexibility for those at work during the week

Many workplaces do not offer the option for employees to have items delivered to their work address, so online shopping can make things more complicated, with trips to the post office at the weekend. The option of a Sunday delivery, giving workers another day to use for online shopping, may prove a real asset to these professionals.

Amazon may experience mixed feelings with this new development. On the one hand, it is convenient to have more choice – but on the other, people may prize their quiet Sundays, and resent having to wait around for a parcel to be delivered.

could this be a blow for the UK high street?

One of the downfalls of online shopping, for some people, has been the fact that delivery is still fairly inflexible. If you need something like a big ticket item – a fridge for example – people may be more likely to spend one of their days off going to collect it from a high street retailer. With this new Sunday delivery option opened up, will the high street suffer?

Sunday deliveries could help over Christmas

According to Jamie Stephenson, UK Director for Amazon Logistics, they will be able to deliver “thousands more parcels” through Sunday delivery, as reported in the Telegraph.

Sunday delivery is currently only open to Amazon Prime customers at no extra cost. Amazon Prime is free for 30 days, after which it costs £49 per year, and qualifies you for free next day delivery on all products dispatched and sold by Amazon.

Strong Growth In December For Retail | Burberry Celebrates Rise In Sales

Does the power really lie with the consumer? Shopper Discounts and Rewards explores

the growth of online sales

A report released by John Lewis last year, entitled the ‘How we Shop, Live and Look Report 2013’ demonstrates the true power of eCommerce by revealing that 30% of all sales come from online shopping.

The report also demonstrates how much we have come to value the flexibility that online shopping can afford us, with 40% of its online orders being collected in store through John Lewis’s click-and-collect service.

the North/South divide

The report offers further insight into shopper behaviour in different parts of the country.

Interesting facts include: Welsh shoppers are 19% more likely to buy red underwear and sales of shape and control underwear are 35% higher in Scotland. Shoppers from different regions of the UK are also using eCommerce differently. It seems that online shopping is more popular around the London region, which includes well-heeled areas such as St Albans and the SW London postcode. However, a greater proportion of shoppers from northern cities are still travelling to the high street to shop.

mCommerce is becoming increasingly popular

John Lewis’s data shows that mCommerce is becoming an increasingly desirable method of shopping. According to the results, 40% of all digital traffic to the John Lewis website comes from mobile devices such as the smartphone, the tablet and the hybrid ‘phablet’. Research shows that we are shopping on our smartphones in the morning after our alarm clocks go off and using our tablets to browse online shops in the evening.

what are we buying?

More fascinating insights from John Lewis’s report reveal what we are buying. The white Egyptian cotton towel is the product most purchased using mCommerce. Whilst sales of high-technology kitchen equipment and 80-inch televisions are climbing dramatically, and menswear sales have risen by 10%. The three most searched terms on the John Lewis website are: “Ted Baker”, “iPad” and “Cath Kidston”. The latter term can be explained by a growing trend among young women to adopt a more old-fashioned look.

This thought-provoking report by John Lewis shows us just how much our shopping behaviours are adapting and evolving with new technology. We will probably see even more change as the devices we use become increasingly advanced.

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