Checkout.com Data Release: Wet Weather Pushes Late-August Clothing Spend to Yearly Highs

New data from Checkout.com, leading global digital payments company, reveals significant peaks in online clothing spending, with August emerging as the most notable month of the year for consumer fashion purchases. Transaction data shows a clear spike at the end of the month, with the last week of August (ending 31st) seeing an astonishing 70.8% surge in spending compared to the average week for the year to date.

This peak spending trend appears to have been a concentrated event, with the 31st of August alone recording a daily spend that was 67.10% higher than the average daily spend for the year. This annual high was the culmination of a surge that began in the days prior, with spending on August 27th already up by 35.02% compared to the year-to-date daily average.

This concentrated spending was likely caused by a combination of key factors. Unsettled weather, including the remnants of Hurricane Erin bringing heavy rain across the UK on the 25th and 26th of August, likely prompted consumers to pivot from summer apparel to preparing for colder, wetter conditions. The timing of this weather shift directly precedes the rise in spending, showing how quickly consumer behavior can react to environmental triggers. Additionally, the end-of-summer sales and the annual back-to-school and university rush for new clothes and uniforms likely contributed to the spike.

While August was the highest-performing month, with spending 12.22% above the monthly average, other seasonal peaks were also observed. May saw a significant spending increase of 10.38% above the monthly average, and January, driven by post-holiday sales and winter wear purchases, also saw a notable peak at 7.55% above the average.

Rory O’Neill, CMO at Checkout.com, said: “These figures underscore a critical truth for retailers: consumer spending in fashion is highly responsive to both predictable seasonal cycles and unpredictable triggers. Success isn’t about predicting the exact moment, but about being adaptable when those moments arrive. When consumers flood your website – whether because of weather shifts, sales, or back-to-school season – having the payment methods they demand and the ability to process transactions securely in real time is what ensures you capture that surge in spend.”