Report: Rise of Online Shopping in the UK During and Post-Pandemic

This report examines the significant impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on online shopping trends in the UK. It analyzes the shift in consumer behavior and the surge in e-commerce sales across three key time periods: pre-lockdown, during lockdown, and post-lockdown. The report highlights the substantial growth in online sales, particularly in essential items and precautionary measures, while also noting the decline in sales for non-essential categories like fashion and travel. The analysis includes sales figures and graphs to illustrate the changes in online shopping rates, comparing them to overall retail sales. The report concludes that the pandemic accelerated the adoption of online shopping, leading to a sustained increase in online retail activity even after lockdown measures were eased. It references key sources to support its findings, making it a valuable resource for understanding the evolving e-commerce landscape.

There is global pandemic time all over the world
and it is known as COVID-19. This pandemic has
impacted various business operations around the
globe. One of the most important changes that has
happened is in the frequency of online shopping.
This report is focusing on the difference in intensity
of online shopping in three time spans. They relate
to pre lock down, during lock down and after lock
down.
Interpretation: From the above graph, it can be
concluded that other than groceries, there are other
consumer items that visualised increase in online sales.
Majorly, items related to precautionary measures of this
pandemic were on hike. In addition to this, items like
jewellery, luxury, fashion. Apparel, auto tools or bags and
travels that are not relevant to precautionary measures were
seen facing a serious decrease in online platform.
This poster is focusing on discussion of how
there is an increased trend in online shopping due
to impact of lock down on business. Online
shopping trend is being rising on the chart of
growth due to the main reason that it involves
minimum human contact and also allows the
measure of social distancing. Figures relating to
this phase has different values in all three time
spans and they are pre lock down, during lock
down and after lock down time period. Trend in
online shopping was climbing the stairs of growth
in last few years.
During the time of lock down, online sales
was 28.1% of retail sales which is almost seven
percent greater than 21.5% in peak time of
November.
The pandemic is expected to have a boosting effect
on the U.K.’s e-commerce market by adding £5.3
billion (about $7 billion) in sales in 2020, bringing
the total market volume to £78.9 billion (about $105
billion). The original 2020 forecast was for only
£73.6 billion (about $98 billion) in sales volume. The
new 2020 sales number will show a growth of 19%
from 2019’s figure of £66.3 billion (about $88
billion).
Interpretation: From the above graph, it can
be elucidated that, online shopping of grocery was on
an average level of around £200 million, but in the
time of lock down, it climbed the ladder of growth at
a very high rate. As the lock down loosened, the
graph again started to lose its growth rate. Therefore,
it can be stated that online shopping was not having
so much of growth pre lock down, but had a boost
dusting lock down. In post lock down, online
shopping rate was quite high as compared to pre lock
down, yet it was less than the rate that prevailed
Rise of online shopping in UK
Introduction
Role of online shopping
Conclusion
According to statistics collected and analysed in the
above poster, it can be elucidated that internet sales
shoot up to a very high level during lock down period.
The economy was on a holding phase during the period
of lock down, but online sales was holding one quarter
of total retail economy.
References
E-commerce consumer items sales. 2020. [Online]. Available through:
<https://www.bigcommerce.com/blog/covid-19-ecommerce/#changes-in-revenue-
across-ecommerce>
Rise in online sales during pandemic time. 2020. [Online]. Available through:
<https://www.paymentssource.com/list/6-ways-coronavirus-is-changing-u-k-e-
commerce>