In brief: Online sales in the US shot up an average of 49 percent in April compared to a baseline period in March before stay-at-home measures went into effect to slow the spread of Covid-19.
According to Adobe’s Digital Economy Index, online grocery shopping saw a 110 percent boost in daily sales last month. Grocery prices typically dip a bit between March and August before going back up in September and remaining there through the holidays. With the pandemic, however, Adobe noted that prices actually increased slightly in April but more or less stayed in line with January – March 2019 levels.
Whether or not we can expect a seasonal dip remains to be seen and will depend on how the situation around Covid-19 progresses, Adobe said.
Online sales of electronics, meanwhile, increased 58 percent with prices inflating for the first time in years. In particular, computers were more expensive last month due to sheer demand. John Copeland, vice president of marketing and customer insights at Adobe, said it is unlikely that consumers will continue to experience favorable pricing online for electronics.
Supply chain constraints could even further exacerbate price changes in the coming months, he added.
It’s been a good month for the online apparel industry as well, especially for brands that focus on sleepwear. Adobe found that sales of pajamas increased 143 percent while pants sales dropped 13 percent, jacket sales fell 33 percent and bra sales slid by 12 percent. Clearly, as more people work from home, they’re taking our advice and dressing down.
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https://www.techspot.com/news/85214-us-e-commerce-sales-up-49-percent-april.html
