Sales of the 8ft garden swimming pools rose 5300% month on month and garden trampolines were up 108%” – Rakuten’s Play.com

It’s not just the mercury hitting new highs in July; last week the Office of National Statistics (ONS) revealed retail sales hit a two year high and online sales were no exception.

With two in three Brit’s reportedly taking a staycation this summer[1], today Rakuten’s Play.com released sales highlights from its 3,800 UK merchants, which shows soaring sales of staycation staples such as outdoor pools, trampolines and ice-cream machines.

“Brits were clearly enjoying stylish staycations in July, sales of the 8ft garden swimming pools rose 5300%  month on month and garden trampolines were up 108%” said a spokesperson for Rakuten’s Play.com adding: “There has always been a strong correlation between the British weather and retail performance, last July the BRC reported that the cold snap drove online sales by 15.6% but so it’s encouraging to see that come rain or shine, online marketplaces are still the first port of call for many shoppers.”

Cooling down in the heat

According to data from Rakuten’s Play.com, an 8ft swimming pool was the best selling outdoors product in July, seeing a 5300% increase in sales month on month. Ice cream makers were also a hot item for many merchants, with Andrew James Ice Cream, Sorbet & Frozen Yoghurt Maker topping the bestseller list, with sales up 166% during the heatwave.

Sunburn and ashes

Bolstered by British sporting success, The Ashes and the British Open also had a positive impact on sales of sports goods. As the Brits romped home to a victory at the Ashes, sales of cricketing products on Rakuten’s Play.com increased by 259% year on year. Similarly, Phil Mickelson’s recent first win at the British Open inspired shoppers to dig out our brightly coloured poloshirts and update their golf kit with fuelling a 47% YOY increase in sales of golf accessories.

For more information on the poll, please visit http://www.play.com/

[1] The Staycation Trend Accelerates To Record Levels This Year – Boosting the UK Economy by £12 Billion  – http://www.travelodge.co.uk/press_releases/press_release.php?id=511

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