New stats from data intelligence company Loqate has highlighted the massive and consistent negative impact that hot weather has on online retail sales.
The data shows that this summer’s heatwave “wreaked havoc on e-commerce retailers’ sales” as people chose to get outside and enjoy the sunshine, rather than spending their days browsing online.
The hottest day of summer was July 27, which saw 1,719,820 transactions online, some 30,000 less than the coolest day of the summer, June 21. Additionally, compared to 2017, e-commerce shopping only saw a 1% increase from June-July as people got outside to enjoy the sun.
David Green, MD at Loqate, commented: “The heatwave has had a significant impact on e-commerce sales, with consumers choosing to be outside enjoying the sunshine as opposed to shopping online. According to our data, July 27 was the hottest day of summer reaching highs of 22.5 Celsius. But while temperatures soared, online sales did not. The correlation between good weather and poor online sales is also evident in last summer’s data. If we compare July 27 with the same date last year, the number of transactions is notably higher in 2017 (6% higher) thanks to cooler temperatures.”
“The British Retail Consortium reported a similar trend in high street retailers, who have also seen a slowdown in sales growth. People are spending more on eating out and going for drinks, as opposed to spending on fashion or household goods.”
