Retail is in the midst of one of the most challenging periods in its history as the coronavirus pandemic wreaks havoc across the industry.
Since a national lockdown was ordered by Boris Johnson in March, businesses have had to withstand the temporary closure of non-essential stores, the implementation of new safety measures and the accelerated shift of consumer spend to ecommerce as shoppers stayed away from high streets and shopping centres.
But which retailers have coped best with that upheaval and continued to grow their top lines?
Retailer | Sector | Retail sales change (yoy) | Period |
---|---|---|---|
Farfetch | Fashion | 74.3% | Three months to June 30 |
AO.com | Electricals | 62.9% | 16 weeks to July 31 |
Ocado Retail | Grocery | 52% | 13 weeks to August 30 |
Boohoo | Fashion | 45% | Six months to August 31 |
Studio Retail | General merchandise | 39% | 26 weeks to September 25 |
Amazon | General merchandise | 38% | 12 weeks to June 30 |
Very Group | Fashion | 28% | 12 weeks to June 30 |
B&M | Value | 25% | Six months to September 26 |
Dixons Carphone | Electricals | 12% | 17 weeks to August 29 |
Tesco | Grocery | 9.2% | 13 weeks to May 30 |
Sainsbury’s | Grocery | 8.5% | 16 weeks to June 27 |
Waitrose | Grocery | 8.3% | Six months to July 25 |
Co-op | Grocery | 7.6% | Six months to July 4 |
Halfords | General merchandise | 7.5% | 20 weeks to August 21 |
Asda | Grocery | 3.8%* | 13 Weeks to June 30 |
B&Q | Home & DIY | 3.7% | Six months to July 31 |
Screwfix | Home & DIY | 3.7% | Six months to July 31 |
Asos | Fashion | -1% | 16 weeks to June 30 |
McColl’s | Convenience | -1% | 26 weeks to May 24 |
Pets at Home | General merchandise | -1% | 16 weeks to July 16 |
Morrisons | Grocery | -1.1% | Six months to August 2 |
Eve Sleep | Home & DIY | -5% | 24 weeks to June 30 |
Joules | Fashion | -5% | 13 weeks to August 30 |
JD Sports | Sports and leisure | -6.5% | 26 weeks to August 1 |
John Lewis | Department stores | -8.3% | Six months to July 25 |
Primark | Fashion | -12%* | Year to September 12 |
Hotel Chocolat | Grocery | -14% | Six months to June 28 |
H&M | Fashion | -16% | Three months to August 31 |
N Brown | Fashion | -17.6% | Six months to August 29 |
Marks & Spencer | Fashion | -19.2% | 19 weeks to August 8 |
ScS | Home & DIY | -19.5% | 52 weeks to July 25 |
N Brown | Fashion | -22% | 12 weeks to May 23 |
Superdry | Fashion | -27% | 20 weeks to September 12 |
DFS | Home & DIY | -27.2% | 52 weeks to June 28 |
Dunelm | Home & DIY | -29% | 16 weeks to June 27 |
Next | Fashion | -34% | Half-year to July 25 |
Inditex | Fashion | -37.5% | Half-year to July 31 |
TK Maxx | Fashion | -42.3% | 26 weeks to August 1 |
Greggs | Grocery | -45% | 26 weeks to June 27 |
Boots | Health and beauty | -48%* | 12 weeks to May 31 |
Burberry | Fashion | -48% | 13 weeks to June 27 |
Card Factory | General merchandise | -49% | Six months to July 31 |
Ted Baker | Fashion | -55% | 11 weeks to July 18 |
Matalan | Fashion | -72.5% | 13 weeks to May 30 |
Not all reporting periods are directly comparable. *Denotes like-for-like sales, rather than total sales
Although retailers cannot be judged on directly comparable reporting periods, the ranking provides the most up-to-date indication as to the retailers and categories that are emerging as the winners and losers during the pandemic.
Online fashion retailer Farfetch tops the chart, having posted a 74.3% spike in sales during the three months to June 30.
It is joined in the top 10 by fellow clothing pureplays Boohoo and the Very Group.
A number of grocery retailers also appear in the upper echelons of the list with six food retailers making the top 15.
Online grocer Ocado is the highest-ranked grocer in the list having also benefited from the rapid shift to ecommerce since March. The etailer grew sales 52% during the 13 weeks to August 30.
Big-four giants Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Asda all made the top 15 and were joined by upmarket rival Waitrose and convenience specialist the Co-op.
AO.com took second place, as demand for fridges and freezers at the start of lockdown drove a 62.9% spike in sales in the 16 weeks to July 31, while its electricals rival Dixons Carphone also made the top 10.
Amazon’s 38% growth in the 12 weeks to June 30 was only enough to secure fourth spot.
At the other end of the list, fashion retailers including Inditex, Ted Baker, TK Maxx and Matalan have all suffered hefty sales declines, while food-to-go operator Greggs has suffered from a lack of footfall to travel hubs and high streets across the UK.
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