Incoming parcels up 10% as grim time for local shops worsens

Saturday 08 March 2014

If retailers were hoping for a bumper Christmas to cheer up a gloomy year, they were left disappointed as online traders continued to bite into sales.

The latest figures show that the volume of goods sold in local shops at Christmas 2013 was down 2% on the previous year. They were backed up by the MD of Jersey Post, Kevin Keen, who says the number of parcels coming into the Island was up at least 10% on the previous Christmas as the festive season doubled their typical monthly workload.

“We had significant growth in parcels coming into the Island over Christmas, it would have been double-digits compared to last year,” he said.

“At Christmas we do roughly double the inward parcels that we do for the rest of the year.”

And the news is increasingly bleak for retailers, as Mr Keen added that they were seeing more and more Islanders using the internet for things that they might have previously brought from shops.

“Things that people might have brought from retailers are starting to come in online,” he said.

“Things like dog food and nappies, for instance, if people are on Amazon Prime they can buy that kind of non-perishable stuff there. That’s probably nibbling away at some things that people would have brought from a supermarket in the past.

“Retailers are up against a company that is turning over £74 billion but not making any money, because it doesn’t want to, it’s after market share. They are up against some very, very tough competition.”