E-commerce continued to outperform pre-pandemic levels last week, as in-store shopping began to show signs of recovery following the easing of lockdown restrictions.

Data collected from more than 10,000 e-commerce merchants by fraud protection company Signifyd Ecommerce, found that European retailers were tracking sales levels 30 per cent higher than the start of the pandemic from 27 July to 2 August.

Online sales were up seven per cent on a week-by-week basis during the period, with several e-commerce sectors showing strong gains.

Beauty and cosmetics sales were up 32 per cent for the week, after four weeks of “disastrous to poor performance”, according to Signifyd, while grocery and household goods sales rose 28 per cent - with online grocery one of the big winners in the pandemic.

Similarly, as consumers headed off to UK-based holidays, auto, parts and tyres saw a 12 per cent increase in sales.

However, the return to the High Street as shops reopened meant that online sales did slow down in some categories, with consumer medical supplies and supplements down eight per cent for the week, and leisure and outdoor, alongside fashion, apparel and luggage, down five per cent each.

“The overall bright picture for e-commerce is beginning to be painted by brick-and-mortar store sales, but that shouldn’t be mistaken for the idea that retail, including e-commerce, are headed back to where they were pre-pandemic," read the analysis.

“The pandemic has fundamentally changed the way consumers shop and many of those habits are here to stay.”

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