Adobe Analytics: England merchandise sees 115% sales spike in May, ahead of the Euros, as sporting optimism lifts ecommerce growth out of doldrums

Data from Adobe, powered by Adobe Analytics, revealed that online spending accelerated in May as UK consumers prepared for the summer holidays and Euro 2024. With the UEFA European Championships kicking off this week, online sales of England football shirts and other team merchandise increased 115% in May compared with normal levels, as fans get behind the national team, with spending continuing to accelerate towards the end of the month. During the first week of June (June 1 – June 7), spending on England team merchandise was up 639% compared with normal levels and rose 144.49% from the week prior.

These merchandise sales helped to deliver a 2.1% year-on-year increase in online spending, with UK consumers spending a total of £7.9 billion online in May 2024.

Adobe Analytics also recorded an uplift of 14.4% in spending on TVs in May compared with normal levels as armchair fans prepare to tune in to watch the football at home. With data showing that when teams progress into the final stages of the tournament we tend to see another significant spike in spending on merchandise, retailers will be hoping to see the England men’s team reach the finals again this year, so that they can take advantage of the wave of optimism and the boost in spending it would bring to the British economy. The Lionesses 3-1 semi-final victory over Australia in the Women’s World Cup last year drove a massive 710% uptick in sales, and with ecommerce getting off to a sluggish start in 2024 retailers would welcome any opportunity to boost their revenues.

After rising 9.8% in the year to April, online grocery prices settled in May, rising by 1.7% YoY. In contrast, the apparel and electronics categories continued to experience heavy discounting, contributing to a -5.7% overall change in the online rate of inflation.

Consumers made the most of these price drops, particularly in online apparel, where online prices fell by 7% YoY, in contrast to the 3% YoY price increase we saw in 2023. As a result, spending was up 11.9% as Brits updated their wardrobes for the summer. Households also stocked up on summer goods including BBQs and bags of charcoal which saw a combined 136% uptick in sales. As in apparel, prices in the home & garden category continued to be discounted, falling 1.2% in May. Online prices for home and garden items have fallen on an annual basis every month since December 2019 as retailers seek to stimulate demand in the category.

UK consumers also used Buy Now Pay Later to finance £1.22 billion worth of purchases in May 2024, a 4.6% YoY decrease on the £1.28bn spent in May 2023, representing 15.4% of total online spend. This is the first time that the amount spent by consumers through Buy Now Pay Later services has fallen on an annual basis since Adobe started tracking its use in January 2022, suggesting an improving picture for people’s personal finances.

Additional Insights Include:

Non-essential retail categories remain in discounting mode

• Adobe’s monitoring of online prices for 100 million products across all retail categories recorded cheaper prices in May 2024 compared with May 2023 in Apparel (-7.0%) , Home and Garden (-1.2%) Toys(-7.6%), Electronics (-13.1%) and Sporting Goods (-6.8%).
• Prices were up on an annual basis in flowers (+2%) and essential items: grocery (+1.7%) and pet products (+1.7%)

Bank Holiday bargains stimulate spending as retailers embrace flash sales

• Spending over the Early May Bank Holiday (+12.1%) and Spring Bank Holiday (+10.6%) increased compared with spending over the bank holidays in May 2023, as many retailers offered dedicated discounts and promotions.

About Adobe Digital Insights

The Adobe Digital Insights team used Adobe Analytics to analyse hundreds-of-millions of visits to retail sites from UK consumers in May, tracking 100 million stock-keeping units (SKUs) across 18 product categories to provide the most comprehensive view of the UK digital economy. Adobe Analytics is part of Adobe Experience Cloud, relied upon by major retailers to deliver, measure, and personalise shopping experiences online.