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UK Electricals Sector Report summary

February 2021

Period covered: Period covered 03 January – 30 January 2021

Note: Reporting periods are either one month or two months behind the current month as standard.

No sign of January Blues

  • Electricals sales increased by 7.2% year-on-year in January – the best performance of any non-food sector.
  • The closure of schools boosted demand for computers and laptops in January, while many consumers traded up their household appliances for more luxury products as part of a shift to “second-round” home comforts.

UK Retail Market Trends

  • The announcement of a third national lockdown on 4 January, effective the following day, saw the closure of non-essential retailers once more.
  • Retail sales fell by 1.7% year-on-year in January, according to the Retail Economics (value, non-seasonally adjusted, ex. Fuel).
  • However, there was a significant shift towards online as consumers reverted seamlessly to lockdown shopping behaviour.

Lockdown-proof

  • Even before the pandemic, more purchases of electricals occurred online than in-store.
  • High online penetration rates mean the Electricals sector is better positioned to adapt to lockdown and non-essential store closures compared to other non-food sectors.

Electricals the star performer in non-food retail

Source: Retail Economics

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  • Electricals Market Share - top 10 Electricals retailers
  • Electricals Market Size estimates (£m)
  • Electricals Sales Growth by category
  • Total Spending by category (£m)
  • Online Electricals Sales (y-o-y)
  • Forecasts for 2021 - 2025
  • Footfall by channel and region
  • Regional Weather data and more…

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