News
Toy market boosts retail sales
Helen Jacobs Oct 30 2007, 11:34am
Independent research shows changing nature of how families shop.
The toy and gaming markets have increased UK retail sales by 0.6 per cent last month, the best since 2004, according to the Office for National Statistics.
However, the office says heavy discounting by retailers has supported the slight increase.
Research conducted by media agency Media Planning Group showed 23 per cent of the 50 families surveyed are more likely to go shopping if the weather is wet.
The survey also showed that 60 per cent of consumers are less likely to look for toys in sales but school holidays are the second highest impact on shopping habits, behind money.
Families are influenced by television advertisements and shop window displays when it comes to sales, according to the survey, while direct mail proves to be the least effective method. 32 per cent of families say they receive e-mail marketing communications.
Almost 80 per cent of families visit their local high street at least once a week, but also believe they have increased their use of the internet for purchases and to compare prices.
