Lockdown and Black Friday combine to deliver bumper online sales

Ecommerce sales climbed 39% year on year, the greatest November growth since 2007, industry body IMRG and Capgemini reported.

The increase was delivered against a tough year-on-year comparison of 20% in 2019, which was itself a year-high. 

Month on month, online sales surged 58% in November this year as categories such as electricals, homeware and decorations performed strongly. 

The rise came in a month that brought a new lockdown in England, running until early December, and in a year when shoppers increasingly purchased online as the Covid-19 pandemic disrupted everyday life and business.

Sales of electrical goods, traditionally a Black Friday favourite with consumers, rose 72.8% year on year, while homeware and decorations sales increased 154%. 

Footwear was the only category to suffer a decline – down 9.1% following a spike in October.

M-commerce sales advanced 110% year on year. 

IMRG strategy and insight director Andy Mulcahy said: “Although the rate of growth in November was lower than we’ve seen at other times this year, you have to bear in mind that November volumes are far, far higher than over the spring and summer. 

“For this reason, it was actually a huge month for online growth, especially since it built on a strong rate of growth in 2019. 

“The actual monetary spend was the highest we’ve ever recorded – shoppers started spending early in November and continued to do so right the way through the month.”

In the first week of December sales growth was 52%, which Mulcahy said could be “an area of concern” in the run-up to Christmas as carriers are under pressure.