UK Online Spending Surges In July

Defying the credit crunch, UK online spending surged to over $9 billion last month, according to new figures.

The credit crunch might be biting hard globally, but it hasn’t stopped British consumers spending online. Figures for Internet commerce for July, compiled by IMRG and Capgemini, show the Brits spent $9.5 during the month, up 11.3% over June.

That breaks down of around $160 for every man, woman and child in the country, and shows a great contrast to spending in bricks-and-mortar stores, where sales fell 0.9% from June to July. Clothing, shoes and accessories were the most popular items.

Mike Petevinos, head of consulting for retail at Capgemini UK, commented:

"More categories are likely to follow as consumers feel more comfortable and retailers get their delivery models right, making returns easier."

"There has been a lot of work done here to improve the fulfillment mechanism and in distribution and customer service, where the greatest challenge is for multi-channel retailers to leverage and integrate their distribution networks."