Athletes were not the only ones seeing success during this summer's Olympic Games. Retailers throughout the country experienced an increase in both online and in-store purchases in the weeks leading up to and during the sporting event.

A recent study by Capgemini found that ecommerce rose 17 percent year-over-year, and the London Olympics played a large role in the increase. For the month of July, consumers in the U.K spent a total of £6.5 billion ($10.2 billion) in online purchases.

"Retailers, both online and offline, were offered a unique opportunity to build an international base of customers, so it will be interesting to see whether the U.K. successfully capitalized on the millions of additional visitors to Britain," says Chris Webster, head of retail consulting and technology at Capgemini.

Sports-related items also saw a boost in sales, both online and in brick-and-mortar locations. Marketing Week reports that many retailers across the U.K. have experienced increases in a variety of sports purchases by consumers, including bicycles, gym memberships and magazine subscriptions. Industry experts believe the uptick in store operations was due to shoppers being inspired by the London Games as well as marketing efforts put forth by sports retailers, states the source.

This entry was posted by Retail Pro on Wednesday, August 22nd, 2012 at 9:53 am .