Gfk yoy growth in sales online

British watch sales soar to 34% above the pre-pandemic summer of 2019

Retailers have unearthed untapped demand from domestic customers, who are splashing out on more expensive timepieces.

The extraordinary efforts of watch brands and retailers operating in the UK is paying off with sales booming in the summer.

Despite wealthy tourists staying away for a second year, data from retail analyst GfK shows that for July, alone, the total value of watch sales in Great Britain was 34% higher in 2021 than in the same month in 2019.

Retailers have unearthed untapped demand from domestic customers, who are splashing out on more expensive timepieces.

The 34% rise in the value of sales in July compared to 2019 came despite the volume of watches sold falling by 33%.

The average price paid per watch in Great Britain in July this year was 44.5% higher than last year.

For the full year from August 2020 to July 2021, the average transaction value rose by 63% over the preceding 12 months.

Gfk watch sales june 2021 1

The total value of sales of watches priced at more than £10,000 have risen by more than 84% in the past year. In stark comparison, the value of watches priced at under £500 has fallen by 6.8% over the same period.

The boom in online sales has run out of steam since non essential retailers reopened, but the value of all sales is still almost 50% up in the 12 months to July compared to the prior year.

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