The Office for National Statistics (ONS) reported a 13.9% month-on-month rise in UK retail sales last month, which easily exceeded expectations for an 8% uptick.
And even the year-on-year contraction of -1.6% was smaller than forecasts for a -6.4% fall.
Samantha Anderson of Ofex, a service that home-based e-commerce businesses without a commercial premises can use to store, pick, pack and post their products, commented: “Since lockdown, the British entrepreneurial spirit has been soaring.
“Covid-19 has ignited the nation’s creativity, with the number of home-based e-commerce businesses launching going through the roof.
“People are coming up with all sorts of brilliant ideas to make a living, often in new sectors altogether, and have really taken responsibility for their own predicaments.
“There’s no doubt in my mind that the whole economy is starting in a new direction, powered less by PAYEs and more by budding small entrepreneurs, who are transitioning their side hussles into full-time jobs.”
Since Covid-19 struck, Samantha’s firm has been busier than ever: before the country went into lockdown, she was sending roughly 200 orders on a Monday morning; now she’s had to hire two new staff as she’s distributing nearly 600 orders each Monday because of the explosion in small e-commerce businesses.
Hellen Stirling-Baker of Small Stuff, a Sheffield-based independent retailer selling sustainably made toys, gifts and homewares for young children, added: “Driving my store online is how I have been able to survive.
“Offering face-to-face video calling for customers to recreate the in-store experience has been crucial, and sales are picking up.
“I’ve also added new services such as local hand delivery, which really boost engagement.”