20-21_23_25.qxp_New Grid 31/03/2021 08:28 Page 20
Retail Barometer 2020
Ups And Downs
It was a year that nobody wanted. A virus that swept the globe, forcing government restrictions that included non-essential retailers closing for some two thirds of last year. But after the shock of last March came resourcefulness, resilience and a ‘I’m not going to be beaten by this!’ resolve, with the majority of gift retailers finding other ways to trade. Those with a website upped the ante; those without a website quickly set one up; home deliveries became the norm, while click and collect in the second and third lockdowns kept the tills ringing. In a brutal year for retail - unsurprisingly, almost two thirds of respondents had a worse year overall than in 2019 - there were some ‘ups’ as PG&H’s annual Retail Barometer survey reveals. How was Christmas 2020? Despite the unprecedented circumstances surrounding Christmas 2020, with the sword of Damocles hanging over the heads of retailers as they feared another lockdown leading up to December 25, surprisingly, figures were up on 2019, with 62% of respondents confirming that it was better or the same as Christmas 2019 (compared to 58% in last year’s Barometer findings). For many gift retailers, Christmas started early, with customers anticipating another lockdown and shopping as early as September. However, it wasn’t a good Christmas for all gift retailers of course - with over a third (38%) saying it was worse (compared to last year’s 31%).
Worse 38%
How did the average spend compare to Christmas 2019? A whopping 81% of those surveyed said that the average festive spend increased significantly, increased slightly or remained the same, (compared to 69% in 2019), with less than a fifth of respondents seeing a decline. Without being able to see friends and family, people wanted to show loved ones how much they were missing them, with personalised, sentiment gifts among the best sellers. Increased significantly 18% Increased slightly 45% Remained the same 18% Declined 14% Declined significantly 5%
What impact have the three lockdowns had on gift sales in the past 12 months? Better 31%
As expected, sales took a big hit during the lockdowns, down by 70%, revealed the findings. Increased significantly 7% Increased slightly 16% Remained the same 7% Declined 32% Declined significantly 38%
Same 31%
How Did Your Business Fare Over The Last Year? PG&H looks back at seven years of Retail Barometer data 2019 v Better Same Worse
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2020 23% 13% 64%
2018 v 2019 Better 37% Same 24% Worse 39%
PROGRESSIVE GIFTS & HOME WORLDWIDE
2017 v Better Same Worse
2018 45% 28% 27%
2017 v Better Same Worse
2016 37% 21% 42%
2016 v Better Same Worse
2015 56% 18% 26%
2015 v Better Same Worse
2014 50% 27% 23%
2014 v Better Same Worse
2013 53% 24% 23%
