Web searches for UK clothing retailers boomed during the first quarter of this year, as shoppers from across the world beat a path to their virtual doors.
New figures from the British Retail Consortium, released today, show how domestic department store, clothing and footwear names continue to attract global interest from fashion-conscious consumers.
They show how smartphone searches in Russia and India doubled on a year-on-year basis, and also climbed by more than two-thirds in Germany, France and China during the three months to the end of March.
The biggest overall year-on-year rise has come from China, where the step-up in searches including tablets and other web-enabled devices was 50%.
Searches rose by 42% in Russia, 19% in both India and South Korea but fell back by 11% in Argentina and 5% in Australia.
Department and clothing stores were the most popular destinations for international shoppers’ browsers, with jewellery also popular.
BRC director general Helen Dickinson said the figures, compiled with the assistance of online giant Google, enhanced the world-beating reputation of Britain’s shopkeepers.
“These new BRC-Google numbers show that they are continuing to improve and expand on their online and multi-channel offers, increasing their appeal to international markets and boosting the economy with their exports,” she said.
“It’s particularly impressive to see the strength of women’s clothing brands and our department stores shining through in these figures.
“A 77% increase in searches from international customers seeking out UK department stores on their smartphones for example, demonstrates how taking advantage of new technology to reach an increasingly diverse audience can pay off.
“This innovation and good use of new technology explains why the UK is now the world’s second biggest online retail exporter.
“We will be working hard with government to help this growth continue and give retailers all the support they need to attract even more new customers from international markets.”
Google retail director Peter Fitzgerald said apparel was a key driver of exports for retailers.
“China and Russia continue to represent a huge opportunity for retailers, with the fastest query growth for UK apparel,” he said.
“In addition, our fashion-led UK department stores see the fastest growth from overseas markets, demonstrating the consumer trend towards breadth of choice and availability.
“The importance of having a mobile strategy, both in the UK and abroad, is evident, as smartphones are shown to be the main driver of query growth worldwide.”