eCommerce customer support specialist eDesk has issued its online retail barometer ahead of Valentine’s Day 2021. The barometer analyses order and ticket volume across eDesk’s database of 1.1 billion consumers and 9,000 online merchants transacting across 30 marketplaces including Amazon and eBay.
Valentine’s Day spending will be a restricted affair this year due to closure of non-essential stores, retail restrictions and social distancing measures, prompting eDesk to review how shoppers globally spent their Cupid coins online in 2020 and 2019 for an idea of how eCommerce will spread love in 2021.
Brits were most interested in purchasing clothes between 8th-14th February with a 23 per cent sales growth year-on-year, closely followed by slippers at 20 per cent. Comparatively, UK consumer spending on adult products fell 12 per cent, making them least likely to buy the goods. This was in stark contrast with Germany where sales of sex toys surged 59 per cent.
Electronics was the other alternative category that sparked considerably more interest year-on-year, increasing by a massive 733 per cent in Germany.
Alex Payne, CEO at eDesk, says: “The ongoing high street store closures are putting massive strain on retailers. However, they have moved rapidly to the upheaval, adapting their businesses for an online first approach and consumers have responded well– the 36 per cent online sales growth tracked in 2020 is evidence of that. However, this eCommerce explosion hasn’t gone unnoticed, as the government discusses an online sales tax for firms who have thrived at the expense of the high street.
“Nevertheless, with Valentine’s Day in the middle of a pandemic and many people in lockdown, there’s no doubt shoppers will turn to the internet for romantic gestures. As we’ve already seen with our findings, Valentine’s Week 2020 brought about a dramatic shift compared to the previous year and from what we’re seeing in 2021, this looks to be no different.”
Online shopping trends during Valentine’s week : February 8th-14th
Adult products – Change between 2019 and 2020 orders
- Germany +59 per cent
Italy +38 per cent - USA +31 per cent
- France +5 per cent
- United Kingdom -12 per cent
Alcohol – Change between 2019 and 2020 orders
- France +165 per cent
- Italy +90 per cent
- Germany +79 per cent
- USA +18 per cent
- United Kingdom +14 per cent
Clothing – Change between 2019 and 2020 orders
- USA +35 per cent
- France +32 per cent
- United Kingdom +23 per cent
- Germany +15 per cent
- Italy +15 per cent
Electronics – Change between 2019 and 2020 orders
- Germany +733 per cent
- France +30 per cent
- USA +29 per cent
- United Kingdom -10 per cent
Italy -12 per cent
Slippers – Change between 2019 and 2020 orders
- United Kingdom +20 per cent
- Germany +18 per cent
- Italy +11 per cent
- USA +11 per cent
- France -21 per cent
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