Shoppers can expect hot deals from retailers
WITH many stores having been shut for long periods during lockdown, some have been shifting stock by ramping up discount deals for shoppers online.
Hotukdeals.com has found there were 16% more live deals on the platform in May, compared to May 2019.
Fashion was among the categories with some of the biggest increases in deals (39%), as workout gear, comfy clothing and summer wardrobes saw a surge in demand.
Gaming also saw an 18% increase in the number of deals posted compared to the same time last year, as people looked for ways to keep entertained at home.
There has generally been a 94% increase in culture and leisure deals to inform and educate the family, including movie offers, online courses, home-schooling resources and live streamed events.
Electronics deals increased by 15%, while grocery offers saw a 12% uplift.
Deals for non-essential items, including wine and ice cream increased by 40% in May, compared with April, and ‘bike’ entered the top five most popular searches on the website, as people steered clear of public transport and looked for new ways of keeping active.
Dan Plant, a consumer savings expert at hotukdeals, says: “With some great discounts still to be found on items such as clothing and electronics, shoppers can find deals online as stores are pushing stock through their websites.”
Not everything online is a bargain however, as there have been some recent reports of ‘price gouging’, as sellers take advantage of demand for items that have been hard to get under lockdown.
Trading Standards have warned consumers to be on their guard for ‘pandemic profiteers’. Consumer group Which? has a price gouging reporting tool where consumers can report inflated prices at