Online fashion retail has more than trebled in the last five years according to figures released by www.shopsafe.co.uk, one of the UK’s leading online shopping directories.
Despite the recession, visitors to the directory’s ladies and men’s fashion sections have both seen significant increases in traffic during 2009, with a total of 151,832 people clicking in during the month of October.
This compares to 47,470 visitors in the same month in 2004. Ladies fashion is still the most popular with 86,366 visitors in October 2009, up 215% from 2004’s figure of 27,343, while the men’s fashion page has seen a 225% increase in October figures from 20,127 in 2004 to in 65,466 2009.
This trend for growth in fashion retail generally was recently backed up by Marks & Spencer, which, when announcing its financial results on November 4, stated: "Sales from our website were up 29%, outperforming the on-line clothing market. Our on-line clothing market share increased to 4.8% from 4.2% (Fashiontrak). The traffic to the site grew by 30% over the half."
www.shopsafe.co.uk receives 10,000 visitors a day, accessing 4,000 retailers who have been accepted onto the site following checks on their security and safety.
Graham Miller, director at www.shopsafe.co.uk, said: "Fashion retailing online was in its infancy five years ago, as people started to find their feet with internet buying in general, but now it has blossomed and continued to do so during the recession.
"Women in particular have embraced clothes shopping online, but the growth in menswear shopping that we have seen has been on a slightly steeper curve, particularly in 2009 when it has leapt by nearly 10,000 monthly visitors.
"I suspect as people find themselves with less spare time on their hands that they will forsake a day on the high street for an hour online. The advent of voucher codes has also played a part, offering online discounts that high street retailers aren’t matching, often making up for such additional costs as postage and packaging."