Excusing the obvious use of a bad pun, many retailers have seen a 13.5% drop in sales due to the snow and icy weather that is gripping the UK. The weather has also hit online sales with large online retailers such as Amazon unable to provide normal delivery to customers.
While large online consumer goods retailers have been hit due to their dependence on postal services, other online retailers have seen a surge in sales, most notably supermarkets. Due to the bad weather and driving conditions, many customers are opting to utilise home delivery services for their weekly grocery shopping; although many supermarkets have struggled to deliver to all their customers. Service websites and gambling sites have also seen a big surge in online sales; for example, Auto Windscreens who have seen a 700% jump in online sales due to drivers booking in cars for repairs while working from home.
These mixed fortunes for online and offline retailers suggest a need for many online retailers to have contingency plans in place if they are unable to deliver during periods of bad weather or postal strikes.
Possible solutions could be free delivery during periods where delivery is un-available or slower than normal and marketing campaigns on standby that can be tailored to take advantage of these situations or to ensure sales remain constant during any experienced disruption.
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