As we scroll through pages of clothes and accessories, we love the simplicity of going on a wild shopping spree in the comfort of our own home. The days of trying on piles of clothes and carrying countless shopping bags are a distant memory as our favorite pastime has moved online.
Since the start of the pandemic online activity has surged, changing consumer lifestyles and routines in so many ways. “In 2021, the UK the e-commerce market is estimated to reach a revenue of £80,678 million” spanning across multiple sectors with the most notable being in the retail industry. Online retail stores have maintained their success through the uncertainty of the current climate and have become an asset to consumers. There is no doubt It has brought huge success to companies who operate exclusively online such as, Amazon, ASOS and Boohoo. However, high-street stores have not been so lucky. Retailers like, Laura Ashley, Oasis and Cath Kidston are just a selection of companies which have gone into administration in the last few years. For them, they suffered through the pandemic and the damage was irreversible. They were just a number of stores left with no choice but to close their doors permanently.
Future of Retailers
The future of high-street retailers is unknown, but there is still a desire for an interactive shopping experience that pulls us shopaholics away from our screens. Our 21st century shopping experience is predominantly digital and this has created an exciting opportunity for high-street retailers to adapt how they operate. “The Arcadia Group, which own fashion brands like Topshop, Miss Selfridge and Dorothy Perkins have served notice to landlords that they will be walking away from over 100 stores by the end of the summer”. Topshop is now selling exclusively through ASOS offering their clothing lines purely through an online service and their high-street presence has disappeared. Topshop’s popularity amongst their target market has made their shift online a positive one for the company’s success in the long term.
Whilst the virtual world of shopping has changed the way we keep up with the latest fashion trends, there is no question it has become a more convenient and comfortable way to shop. Does this mean that the high-street will slowly disappear? Only time will tell…
Our consumer lifestyle PR team specialises in connecting everyday brands with everyday people across four core sectors; Consumer Lifestyle PR, Food PR, Retail PR and Sport, Health & Wellbeing PR. More information on these areas of knowledge can be found at www.escapadepr.com/about-us.
Sources
https://www.statista.com/statistics/275973/types-of-goods-purchased-online-in-great-britain/
