The Independent are reporting today that on-line clothing sales are up:
Internet sales of clothing have passed the £1bn-a-year mark, despite customers not being able to try things on before they buy.
Mintel reported a five-fold rise in sales of clothing and footwear on-line since 2001 and a 44 per cent surge to £1.4bn last year. More…
Certainly looking at our on-line sales at Indigo over the past year, this growth statistic seems realistic but the article’s conclusion that the growth is down to greater broadband penetration seems simplistic and does tackle the psychology behind on-line clothes purchasing decisions. We would argue that basic items such as t-shirts and hoodies sell well on-line as customers have fixed expectations of the product, whilst specialist, technical and fashion items still suffer from the fact that people need to ‘touch-and-feel’ before making a buying decision.