GUIDE
TO
RETAIL
DATA
AN EBOOK FROM BRC
EXPLAINING AND COMPARING
RETAIL DATA SOURCES
CONTENTS
Page
Introduction 2
Providers of data for Retail Sector 4
Analysis: a brief introduction
Footfall Monitoring Data 16
Vacancy Monitoring Data 21
Price Monitoring Data 23
Retail Employment Monitoring Data 28
Online Retail Data 32
Sector-Specific Analyses 40
1
INTRODUCTION
The importance of data to understanding the state of retail is
impossible to deny. Retail data analysis depends on a range
of factors and comes in varied forms, collected using
different methodologies and using diverse samples. At the
time of writing, no complete guide to the different metrics
used in retail data analyses exists, so this eBook has been
compiled to provide a clear guide to definitions, sources and
uses of the key measures used by financial and retail
analysts.
2
INTRODUCTION CONT.
Chapter 1 gives a brief, contextual overview of the data
providers covered in this eBook
Chapter 2 provides an introduction to retail sales
measurements, including an overview of different data
providers.
Chapter 3 addresses the benefits of and methodologies
behind tracking footfall and customer demographics as well
as shop vacancy data, detailing the new technology driving
insights into customer behaviour.
Chapter 4 covers two inflationary measures; the Shop Price
Index and Consumer Price Index, which determine how
pricing of the most common goods purchased contributes to
the UK’s inflation.
Chapter 5 details the main sources of employment statistics
monitoring for the UK labour market and how that impacts
on the UK’s economic forecasting.
Chapter 6 focuses on the newest retail metric: online sales,
search and traffic monitoring, and how the non-food online
market, which represents about 10% of the UK’s retail
economy (according to ONS statistics) indicates the health of
the sector.
Finally, Chapter 7 provides a snapshot of the existing data
providers for sector-specific analyses across 18 different
categories.
3
PROVIDERS OF
DATA FOR
RETAIL SECTOR
ANALYSIS: A
BRIEF
INTRODUCTION
4
PROVIDERS OF DATA FOR
RETAIL SECTOR ANALYSIS: A
BRIEF INTRODUCTION
The key metrics calculated by several different data providers
are discussed in this eBook:
The BRC
The British Retail Consortium (BRC) represents the breadth
of UK retailers from small independent stores to large chain
and department stores. Formed in 1992, the BRC lobbies for
the retail industry as well as providing insight, analyses and
data for the UK’s retail market. Providing monthly data on
retail sales, shop price inflation, footfall and online traffic, as
well as quarterly insight on retail employment, online retail
searches and trends, the BRC’s comprehensive data informs
governmental policy and Bank of England interest rates.
The ONS
The ONS (Office for National Statistics) is the “UK’s largest
independent producer of official statistics”; the government
department responsible for collecting and publishing the
England and Wales census every ten years as well as
national, regional and local statistics on the economy. In
relation to the retail sector, the ONS compiles the Retail
Sales Index (RSI), the Business Register and Employment
Survey (BRES) and the Consumer Price Index, covered in
this eBook. The ONS’ official statistics are used by the
government to assess and evaluate the impact of policies and
by businesses to facilitate business decisions.
5
PROVIDERS OF DATA FOR
RETAIL SECTOR ANALYSIS: A
BRIEF INTRODUCTION
Springboard
Springboard provides retail performance insights to the
European, US and Canadian markets. Counting pedestrian
and vehicle numbers on a 24/7 basis, Springboard report on
sales and footfall data to aid retailers in understanding the
customer journey in tandem with sales performance and
benchmarking. Weekly data is provided from over 4500
locations, integrating 1200 retailer’s sales, covering 68% of
the UK’s population, allowing retailers to understand regional
differences and compare historical data.
Experian
Experian also provide footfall data from more than 11,000
retailers and shopping centres in 64 countries, allowing
retailers to calculate conversion rates, visitor to staffing
ratios, the ROI of events and how long customers dwell in
key areas around their stores. Experian also own a company
called Hitwise who collaborate with the BRC in producing
data pertaining to online traffic.
6
PROVIDERS OF DATA FOR
RETAIL SECTOR ANALYSIS: A
BRIEF INTRODUCTION
The Local Data Company
The Local Data Company, who produce data on vacancy rates
in the UK, track over 550,000 different premises in over
7,000 locations, including 850 town centres and 898
shopping centres. Their teams walk the streets, recording
whether stores are vacant, occupied or demolished.
Nielsen
Nielsen studies consumers in more than 100 countries across
the world, surveying the shopper behavior of more than
250,000 households with their Consumer Panels. They
produce a range of reports on grocery sales as well as
producing the Shop Price Index, in conjunction with the
British Retail Consortium (covered in Chapter 4).
7
PROVIDERS OF DATA FOR
RETAIL SECTOR ANALYSIS: A
BRIEF INTRODUCTION
CBI
The CBI (Confederation of British Industry) compiles the
results of several business surveys on a monthly and
quarterly basis, including the Distributive Trades Survey,
covered in this eBook. The surveys produced by the CBI are
used by the media, Treasury and the Bank of England as well
as the European Commission to report on and understand
the health of the macro-economy in the private sector.
Ipsos Retail Performance
Spanning 3.1 billion customer visits in 47 countries, Ipsos
Retail Performance monitors footfall in over 8,000 stores.
Ipsos Retail Performance developed the first footfall
measurement technology: an infrared beam which counted
shoppers as they broke the beam when entering a vendor’s
premises. All the main shopping centres in the UK are
covered and Ipsos Retail Performance provide solutions for
more than 6,500 UK stores. Retailers use Ipsos Retail
Performance’s customer tracking data to inform their
decision making processes on store layout, queue
management and staffing levels to improve the overall
customer experience and increase sales.
8
PROVIDERS OF DATA FOR
RETAIL SECTOR ANALYSIS: A
BRIEF INTRODUCTION
IMRG
IMRG is “the UK’s industry association for online retail” and
provides the online retail industry with intelligence, market
tracking and benchmarking, compiling data from over 100
retailers to create quarterly benchmarking figures, online
retail indices and the Top 50 Retailer Ranking, a league table
of website visitor numbers.
Capgemini
Spanning 40 countries, Capgemini are a global provider of
technology, consulting and outsourcing services. Working
with IMRG, they produce the IMRG-Capgemini e-Retail Sales
Index covered in Chapter 6.
Retail Sales Data
Who provides retail sales data?
There are three main sources of retail sales data: the ONS,
the BRC and Confederation of British Industry (CBI).
The ONS publishes the Retail Sales Index (RSI), BRC
publishes the United Kingdom Retail Sales Monitor (or RSM)
and the CBI produces the Distributive Trades Survey (or
DTS).
9
PROVIDERS OF DATA FOR
RETAIL SECTOR ANALYSIS: A
BRIEF INTRODUCTION
Table 1: Key differences between the
RSM, DTS and RSI
ONS RSI BRC-KPMG RSM CBI DTS
95% of total UK retail sales Between 850-900
value (5,000 companies). 60% of total UK retail sales companies, with an
Sample size
Preliminary results are based value additional 800-900
on 63% of the sample. approached every quarter
Enforcement Statutory Survey Voluntary Survey Voluntary Survey
Survey data covering 12
Survey data weighted dually,
sales categories and 6
Survey data weighted by sales according to gross value
Weighting Method online categories weighted
for each type of retailer added (GVA) of each firm’s
by household expenditure
sector and employment size
on each type of product
Sample related to BRC Sample based on UK
Updated each month, in membership profile industry trade associations,
Sample review accordance with the profile of covering a broad range of CBI regional office contacts
the British retail industry high street and online and publicly available
retailers databases
Growth in total, like-for-like Balance statistic indicating
Headline retail Values and volumes,
and online sales values the change in sales volume
sales measures seasonally adjusted and non-
compared with a year ago, compare with a year ago, no
obtained seasonally adjusted
no seasonal adjustment seasonal adjustment
Available before the end of
Published one working
Publishing Published two working weeks the reference month, (survey
week after the month it
frequency after the reference month. covers just 2 weeks of the
references
month)
Annual adjustments are made
to allow for calendar effects
Adjustments caused by Bank Holidays, None made None made
changing Easter dates and
when Christmas occurs.
Source: Adapted from the“Retail Sales Index (RSI) and external surveys”, the Office for National Statistics
10
PROVIDERS OF DATA FOR
RETAIL SECTOR ANALYSIS: A
BRIEF INTRODUCTION
What is the Retail Sales Index and how
is it measured?
The Retail Sales Index (RSI) is measured on a monthly basis
by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) and is a regular,
short-term measure of economic activity in the retail sector.
Used to predict retail sector output as well as how much
consumers spend, the Retail Sales Index is a key factor in
producing the National Accounts.
Covering around 95% of retail turnover, the RSI provides an
estimate of value (how much is spent during the month) as
well as volume (how much was sold) and covers estimates of
online spending.
The UK Standard Industrial Classification defines which
industries are included in the RSI data and are broken down
into four groups: food, non-food, non-store retail and fuel
(automotive). Non-food is further segmented into general
department stores, clothing (including footwear), household
goods and other specialised shops.
Data excluded from the RSI is service based, so how much
was spent on travel (including holidays), hotel
accommodation, catering services (restaurants/cafes) as well
as any payments for insurance and banking are not
represented - the Office for National Statistics’ Index of
Services monitors the gross value added for the service
industries.
11
PROVIDERS OF DATA FOR
RETAIL SECTOR ANALYSIS: A
BRIEF INTRODUCTION
What is the Retail Sales Monitor and
how is it measured?
The BRC-KPMG Retail Sales Monitor (RSM) is widely accepted
as the most reliable indicator of retail sales in the UK.
Participating retailers represent a cross section of the high
street, small businesses, online and range from pure plays to
major high street brands and covers over 60% of the sector
by turnover.
The time series data dates back to 1995 and provides
detailed analysis through the Online Retail Sales Monitor,
Scottish Retail Sales Monitor and the UK Retail Sales Monitor
which includes insightful category analysis across grocery
and seven non-food sub-categories including Clothing and
Footwear, Health and Beauty and Furniture.
The data is split by category, rather than retailer type and is
collected weekly. No revisions are made to the data and the
commentary is based on feedback received directly from the
retailers. Whilst data is received voluntarily, participants
receive a level of detail which is not available in the
published report giving them weekly access to sales data
covering 19 sub-categories – vital for benchmarking their
own sales performance in any given week. This also
provides a vital incentive to submit accurate data on time.
12
PROVIDERS OF DATA FOR
RETAIL SECTOR ANALYSIS: A
BRIEF INTRODUCTION
What is the CBI Distributive Trade
Survey and how is it measured?
This survey is widely reported as the CBI's 'High Street'
survey. The results of this survey are circulated in advance of
publication for discussion by the CBI Distributive Trades
Survey Panel.
This survey is conducted on a monthly and quarterly basis
with the monthly surveys carried out in the intervening
months of January, March, April, June, July, September,
October and December. The same sample of firms is used
each month and the same degree of individual activity data
is prepared.
The DTS does not collect sales data – it focuses on the
changes in data over time, showing whether sales have
increased or decreased, what the changes are from previous
years and projects expected changes for the next three
months.
The quarterly and monthly surveys both cover volume of
sales, orders on suppliers, sales for the time of year and
stocks, while the quarterly survey also covers imports, selling
prices, numbers employed, investment and business
situation.
13
PROVIDERS OF DATA FOR
RETAIL SECTOR ANALYSIS: A
BRIEF INTRODUCTION
Both monthly and quarterly surveys now contain questions
on current and expected internet sales and average prices for
internet goods. Monthly surveys only cover two weeks of
each month. The processed responses convert to raw
weighted data from which are derived percentage balances.
The percentage balance statistic is the figure derived from
the difference between the weighted percentage of
companies answering in the positive, minus the percentage
replying in the negative. This allows a single number with a
plus or minus value to thus represent the answer to any
question. Since most of the questions refer to changes in the
level of a variable, the absolute value of a balance will give a
guide to the change in the variable concerned.
14
PROVIDERS OF DATA FOR
RETAIL SECTOR ANALYSIS: A
BRIEF INTRODUCTION
What is sales monitoring data used
for?
The performance of the retail sector acts as a useful
bellwether for the strength of the overall economy. Indeed,
consumer spending accounts for two thirds of the economy, a
third of which goes through retail. Retail sales indices can be
compared with other indicators to show trends and help
develop a better understanding of underlying factors
affecting the sector. For example matching with mortgage
approvals can show how the revival in the housing market
can influence the sales of furniture and home sales.
The ONS survey takes figures from over five thousand
businesses of all sizes and the figures are used by the Bank
of England and HMRC to determine policy decisions.
The incentive for retailers to participate in the RSM is for
them to benchmark their sales performance against a pool of
their competitors on a week-by-week basis, helping them to
plan tactically and project their sales. The monthly
publication is therefore based on accurate and timely data
and is widely considered as the most reliable measure of
retail sales in the UK.
15
FOOTFALL
MONITORING
DATA
16
FOOTFALL MONITORING DATA
What is Footfall and how is it
measured?
Footfall, measured with cameras mounted on buildings and
street lamps, at entrances of outlets and shopping centres, is
a key indicator for staffing levels, sales forecasting and
understanding broader structural changes in the retail sector.
Footfall cameras and counters measure both pedestrians and
cars, recording all who travel through a predetermined
virtual zone during business hours.
As online sales volumes continue to grow, footfall
measurement becomes an even more vital measure, to help
retailers understand what is driving their sales. Footfall
measurement can also determine the planning of promotions
as well as the changing needs of staff presence.
17
FOOTFALL MONITORING DATA
The BRC-Springboard Footfall Monitor
The monitor records data on customer activity in town and
city centre locations, and in out of town shopping locations,
throughout the UK using the latest generation of automated
technology. The Monitor records over 60 million footfall
counts per week at over 600 counting locations in 227
different shopping sites in 142 towns and cities across
England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. The Monitor
covers the main centres in each nation/region and a
representative sample of secondary and smaller town
centres.
Springboard produces the only measure of segmented data -
town and city centres are covered by The National High
Street Index, reported in a monthly benchmarking report,
comparing performance with national as well as regional
averages. Online reporting allows comparison between
locations over different time periods and graphical
representations are sent via email on a regular basis.
Springboard also provide information to retailers that covers
the behaviour of shoppers when they are in-store.
18
FOOTFALL MONITORING DATA
Ipsos Retail Performance
This measure calculates footfall as well as helping retailers
track shoppers’ behaviour, allowing them to capitalise on
peak periods, manage staff distribution and maximise the
space in their store by adjusting their layout and optimise
the store’s promotional areas.
Infrared cameras count customers who break the beam by
entering the store whereas thermal cameras determine how
many customers are in the store at any one time, counting
individuals and groups of shoppers. Ipsos Retail Performance
also provide stereo camera monitoring which enables
retailers to keep an eye on queue levels whilst ignoring the
movements of their staff. Facial profiling gives retailers a
detailed insight into their customer demographics, allowing
them to refine their marketing campaigns based on shopper
interaction.
Experian Footfall
Experian provides footfall data, but this data is geared
towards specific organisations looking to maximise the
benefits of the measure specifically within their business.
19
FOOTFALL MONITORING DATA
Summary Table
Springboard Experian Footfall IPSOS-MORI
Timeliness and Instantly available, Not aligned with BRC Not clear on time lag,
periodicity timetable aligned to retail months timetable aligned to
BRC BRC
Retail channel Entry to high street Entry to shopping Combines entry to
Coverage area, shopping centre (National retail park stores and
centres and out of Index) OR retail park stores in shopping
town locations (the (Retail Parks Index) centres (no food
only providers to do only (very limited view retailers)
this). Food and non- of high street footfall).
food covered. Food and non-food
covered.
Geographical 60m counts per week Counts at 253 Counts at 2,200 shops
Coverage in over 650 locations shopping centres
Length of back-run To 2009 To 2007 To 2000
What is footfall data used for?
Footfall measurement allows retailers to act on very early
indicators of a downturn or upturn in footfall, giving them the
chance to manage their workforce, forecast performance and
managed stock levels more effectively. It can also help
indicate whether their footfall is unusual or following local
trends, using local and national benchmarks, which will
inform promotional activities. Historical data will allow
retailers to plan their promotional events in times of typically
high footfall and comparing store footfall with competitors’
can help to determine the strength of a retailer’s brand and
customer loyalty.
20
VACANCY
MONITORING
DATA
21
VACANCY MONITORING DATA
What is vacancy monitoring and how is
it measured?
Vacancy monitoring provides a view into the growth and
decline of retail, showing where shops have closed, opened
or have been demolished.
The BRC-Springboard Monitor measures vacancy rates, in
addition to footfall, providing a regional breakdown of the
England and country analysis in Wales, Scotland and
Northern Ireland. Springboard gathers vacancy rates in
towns and cities via an online survey of town centre
managers in 450 locations throughout the UK. The vacancy
rate is defined as the percentage of the ground floor units in
the town centre that are vacant, and a vacant unit is
regarded as one which is not trading at the time of the
survey (whether or not it is let).
The Local Data Company provide information regarding
vacancy rates, new business activity and churn across 7,000
locations in the UK, breaking each metric into sector-specific
categories, geographical location, type of location (high
street, out of town, etc.) and provides a comparative
benchmark across local, regional and national averages.
Directed mainly at retailers, their data allows businesses to
analyse the growth or contraction of the competition in over
453 sectors across location types and different regions.
22
PRICE
MONITORING
DATA
23
PRICE MONITORING DATA
What is price inflation and how is it
measured?
There are different methods to measuring shop price
inflation, but the two main measures are the Shop Price
Index and the Consumer Price Index.
Who provides price inflation data?
The Shop Price Index is produced monthly by the British
Retail Consortium and Nielsen whereas the Consumer Price
Index is published by the Office for National Statistics.
24
PRICE MONITORING DATA
What is the BRC-Nielsen Shop Price
Index (SPI) and how is it measured?
The Shop Price Index (SPI) measures the inflation rates of all
the different goods that consumers might buy, split into
categories, as does the Consumer Price Index, which is a
broader measure of inflation, covering 700 representative
goods and services.
Designed to indicate the inflation rate of the high street
products that are most commonly purchased, the SPI tracks
500 different prices across 7 retail sectors. Monthly
collection, in the same stores in five large, urban areas
across the country maintains a consistent picture of inflation
across food (split into ambient and fresh); DIY, gardening
and hardware; furniture and flooring; electrical; books,
stationery and home entertainment; clothing and footwear
and other non-food. Up to 7,000 different price points go into
the calculation. The index is weighted using the ONS Family
Spending Survey.
25
PRICE MONITORING DATA
What is the ONS Consumer Price Index
(CPI) and how is it measured?
The Consumer Price Index includes many of the goods
considered by the Shop Price Index, with the addition of
alcohol and tobacco; health; transport; communication;
recreation and culture; education and, finally, restaurants
and hotels.
Many staple goods have been in the Consumer Price Index
calculations since the beginning, in 1947, like milk, bread
and tea but the goods appraised for the Consumer Price
Index are revised every year to take account of new trends.
Each item is weighted according to their importance to the
consumer, so a change in the price of fuel might be weighted
higher than the cost of a particular clothing item.
Expenditure weightings, like goods and services considered
for the measure, are adjusted annually, so that a rise in
prices for one product doesn’t bias the results and
adequately reflects current spending patterns.
26
PRICE MONITORING DATA
Main differences between the SPI and
CPI
CPI has a one day survey period while the SPI has a five day
survey period. The advantage of a five day survey period is
that price changes are more likely to be captured. The SPI
only tracks price changes on the high street while the CPI
includes non-high street activity like recreation.
What is price inflation data used for?
These indices demonstrate how the pricing of the most
popular high street goods contributes to overall inflation and
can be combined with government inflation measures to
compare the retail market against general price inflation
across the economy. This helps give a greater understanding
of where inflationary pressures are being generated and
which parts of the retail sector are experiencing deflation or
inflation.
27
RETAIL
EMPLOYMENT
MONITORING
DATA
28
RETAIL EMPLOYMENT
MONITORING DATA
What is Retail Employment Monitoring
and how is it measured?
The UK retail sector is the largest private sector employer,
providing jobs to around three million, about one in twelve of
the working of the working population. Measuring trends in
retail employment, such as full-time and part-time split,
redundancy rates and employment expectations are critical
in context of the wider labour market. Subject to quick
change, due to economic pressures and fluctuations in
consumers’ spending habits, employment monitoring can be
a key indicator of the state of the UK economy.
Who provides retail employment
monitoring data?
There are two main sources of retail employment monitoring
data:
• BRC-Bond Dickinson Retail Employment Monitor
• Office of National Statistics Business Register and
Employment Survey
29
RETAIL EMPLOYMENT
MONITORING DATA
What is the BRC-Bond Dickinson Retail
Employment Monitor and how is it
measured?
Produced in conjunction with Bond Dickinson, for the
purposes of providing data to the retail sector and financial
analysts, the Retail Employment Monitor tracks job creation
and job cuts over the year as well as developing insight into
retailer’s plans for employment over the coming quarter.
Collecting monthly data from both large and small, food and
non-food retailers, the BRC-Bond Dickinson Retail
Employment Monitor is published quarterly and is a
representative sample of more than a third of all employers,
surveying one million employees.
30
RETAIL EMPLOYMENT
MONITORING DATA
What is the ONS Business Register and
Employment Survey and how is it
measured?
The Office of National Statistics produce an annual survey,
the Business Register and Employment Survey (BRES), which
provides an important source for business activity analyses.
Businesses who are registered for VAT or PAYE are sampled
from a population of 1,992,000. Approximately 82,000
businesses are sampled on a mandatory basis and the results
are used by the government to inform the development of
their own business surveys. The information collected by the
BRES is used to update the Inter-Departmental Business
Register (IBDR) and the annual employment statistics are
published on the ONS’ website as well as the Nomis Website.
The Nomis website is subscription based and provides UK
labour market statistics from the ONS, including data on
employment, benefit claimants, earnings and unemployment.
What is Retail Employment Monitoring
used for?
Retail employment monitoring has two main uses: firstly, the
government uses it to predict employment tax revenue;
secondly, data can be used by retail and financial analysts to
understand the impact of falling or rising employment on the
health of the sector.
31
ONLINE RETAIL
DATA
32
ONLINE RETAIL DATA
What is Online Retail Data Monitoring
and how is it measured?
Online Retail Data Monitoring provides an indication of the
value and volume of transactions and searches performed
over the internet. It provides a measure of the fluctuating
demands of the online consumer and can be used together
with footfall measurements to indicate the health of the retail
sector.
Who provides online retail data
monitoring?
• The BRC-KPMG Online Retail Sales Monitor (ORSM)
• The IMRG Capgemini e-Retail Sales Index
• BRC-Google Online Retail Monitor (using Google search
data)
• BRC-Experian Digital Retail Insight
• The ONS’ Internet Sales Tables
33
ONLINE RETAIL DATA
What is the BRC-KPMG Online Retail
Sales Monitor (ORSM) and how is it
measured?
Calculated monthly, the BRC-KPMG Online Retail Sales
Monitor (ORSM) is used as an economic indicator. Measuring
changes in the value of non-food sales (including VAT) made
via phone, mail order or the internet, it provides a holistic
view, in conjunction with ‘real-world’ transactions, of the
state of the non-food retail industry, which represents around
60% of the UK’s total retail sales.
To ensure the data accurately represents the contribution of
each section to the industry as a whole, weightings are
applied. Weightings are taken from the Office for National
Statistics’ Family Spending Survey, which is adjusted on an
annual basis. The data is not adjusted for price or VAT
changes nor seasonal changes in dynamic holiday periods
(such as Easter and Bank Holidays) so can become distorted,
which should be taken into consideration when interpreting
the data.
34
ONLINE RETAIL DATA
What is the IMRG Capgemini e-Retail
Sales Index and how is it measured?
Produced monthly, the IMRG Capgemini e-Retail Sales Index
samples over 100 UK businesses and focuses on non-food
online retail sales sectors which include clothing and
footwear; health and beauty; gifts; electrical and home and
garden purchases. Primarily focusing on “transactions
completed fully, including payment, via interactive channels
from any location, including in-store”, it measures several
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for online retailers, such
as Unique Visitors, Market Performance, Conversion Rates,
Checkout Abandonment, Average Order Value and Total
Orders.
35
ONLINE RETAIL DATA
What is the BRC-Google Online Retail
Monitor and how is it measured?
The BRC-Google Online Retail Monitor (ORM) measures the
amount of searches performed in the retail sector in the UK.
Every retail-related search is counted towards overall UK
retail search totals for both the month and the quarter.
Measuring changes and trends in search terms for the retail
sector, Google weights each search term and assesses the
likelihood that ambiguous terms are definitely retail-related,
based on historical search data.
The monitor also measures click-through rates of Google Ads
to enable reporting on pure-online and multi-channel retail
search growth, as well as growth in the mobile retail search
sector and reports these quarterly.
The mobile aspect of the BRC-Google ORM includes searches
from internet-enabled smartphones as well as tablet devices.
36
ONLINE RETAIL DATA
What is the BRC-Experian Digital Retail
Insight and how is it measured?
The BRC-Experian Digital Retail Insights Monitor is released
to give an indication of monthly online traffic to the UK’s
online retail websites.
The data provides breakdowns for visits, views, device splits
(e.g. internet-enabled smartphones versus tablet computers)
and how long each website was viewed. The data is further
split into demographic data such as age, gender, location in
the UK and socio-demographic backgrounds.
What is the ONS’ Internet Sales Tables
and how are they measured?
The ONS produces Internet Retail Sales tables on several
different measures, as part of the RSI and include a
seasonally adjusted value index as well as year-on-year and
month-on-month growth rates. Internet sales are estimates
of how much was spent online through all store types in
Great Britain. The monthly RSI surveys collect a separate
figure for internet sales from a retailer’s total turnover.
37
ONLINE RETAIL DATA
What is Online Retail Data Monitoring
used for?
Online sales are an area of growth for the retail industry and
now represent an estimated 10 per cent of food and non-
food UK sales, according to figures published by the Office
for National Statistics. Online shopping has seen exponential
growth across the world and the strong consumer demand
for online product availability, improved delivery times and
investment in website usability means that high streets and
supermarkets are losing out to the click of a mouse. Tracking
online sales and search terms against ‘bricks and mortar’
sales gives a more holistic view of UK retail market sales.
38
A BRIEF DATA PROVIDER
COMPARISON
The following table provides a quick guide to data providers
of the key metrics covered in the above section.
Sales Footfall & Price Employment Online Online
Data
Monitoring Vacancy Monitoring Monitoring Sales Traffic
Provider Monitoring Monitoring
Data Monitoring Data Data
Data Data Data
BRC √ √ √ √ √ √
ONS √ √ √ √
CBI √
Springboard * √
Ipsos Retail √
Performance
Capgemini** √ √
Experian* √ √
Kantar √
Nielsen* √ √
Local Data √
Company
* This data is compiled in association with the British Retail Consortium (BRC)
** IMRG and Capgemini work together to compile Online Sales Monitoring Data
^ The Local Data Company provides vacancy monitoring data
39
SECTOR-
SPECIFIC
ANALYSES
40
SECTOR-SPECIFIC ANALYSES
Understanding retail data requires more than just high-level
retail statistics. To truly understand and predict fluctuations
in the market, as well as gain insight into consumer spending
habits, analysts will need segmented data to give a better
indication of measures for performing forecasting and trend
analysis in their sector. In this section, we will review some
of the sources available for conducting sector-specific
analyses.
GFK, Gesellschaft für
Konsumforschung (Society for
Consumer Research)
GFK are a global retail data analysis company who provide
market intelligence from over 100 countries. Providing
audience measurement, consumer panels, retail sales
tracking, trends and forecasting as well as information on
geo-marketing, they are one of the largest suppliers of
sector-specific analysis, ranging from automotive to electrical
(see full list, below). Monthly and weekly analysis is available
from GFK, allowing analysis of product performance and a
detailed understanding of trends across the global and local
markets.
Using a representative sample of 90 international and
national retailer organisations, GFK can help assess an
individual retailer’s performance, predict and forecast trends
and help with decision making for distribution and pricing
strategy.
41
SECTOR-SPECIFIC ANALYSES
NPD (formerly National Purchase
Diary)
The NPD Group cover 12 different sectors, the largest of the
four sector-specific data providers covered in this eBook.
NPD provide advisory services, tracking services and analytic
solutions as well as information on consumer behaviour and
retail forecasting. Drawing on point-of-sale information from
1,200 retailers across the world, they are able to provide
intelligence on dynamic pricing at a national and store level,
allowing insight into market dynamics. Performing 12 million
consumer surveys on an annual basis (globally – the UK
proportion of which is unclear), NPD’s shopper insights
reporting allows retailers and analysts to track all retail
channels, across both online and bricks and mortar retail
stores.
IGD (Institute of Grocery Distribution)
IGD covers fewer sectors than GFK and NPD Group, focusing
specifically on global food and consumer goods. Covering
over 50 major and developing markets, IGD Retail Analysis
provides analysis of over 200 worldwide retailers operating in
the 100 most important grocery markets, as well as
maintaining retailer profiles for more than 400 consumer
goods retailers across the globe.
42
SECTOR-SPECIFIC ANALYSES
Kantar Retail
Kantar Retail collects data on 1,000 global retailers in 210
countries and provides forecasting data for up to five years
ahead. One arm of their research projects, Kantar Retail iQ,
delves into consumer insights by surveying 4,000 households
on their purchasing decisions, helping analysts make sense
of ever-changing shopping trends.
Kantar World Panel
Kantar World Panel monitors 30,000 demographically
representative households in Great Britain, surveying their
regular grocery purchases on a weekly basis. They provide
information on the market share of large supermarkets,
grocery price inflation and general shopping trends.
43
A brief sector-specific data provider
comparison
The following table provides a quick guide to which retail
sectors are covered by each of the four data providers
profiled in the above section.
Industry GFK NPD IGD Kantar Kantar
World
Panel
Automotive √ √
Consumer Goods √
Fashion and Lifestyle √ √ √
Financial Services √
Health √
Media and Entertainment √ √ √
Public Services √
Technology/Telecoms √ √ √
Travel and Tourism √
Electrical √
Toys √
Beauty/ Personal care √ √
Groceries √ √ √ √
Video Games √
Sports and Leisure √
Office Supplies √
Mobile √
Homewares √
FMCG √
Petrol √
Delivery √
44
Questions?
This eBook has
been compiled by
the BRC to provide
a clear guide to
definitions, sources
and uses of the key
measures used by
financial and retail
analysts. If you
have any questions,
or would like further
information, please
contact:
Richard Lim
Head of Business Information
British Retail Consortium,
21 Dartmouth Street,
London SW1H 9BP
Direct line: +44 207 854
8962
Email: [Link]@[Link]
45
If you are interested to read how you can
get more value from the BRC’s data, you
might be interested to read the case study
below.
Click on the button to read below how the
BRC’s data offering enabled Oriel
Securities to make better sense of the
state of the retail industry, allowing them
to provide a more holistic and effective
advisory service to their clients.
46
