Ecommerce in The United Kingdom

The United Kingdom (UK) is one of the biggest ecommerce markets in Europe. In 2021, consumer ecommerce accounts for 30 percent of the total retail market. More than 80 percent of the population bought at least one product online in 2021. The UK chose to remain outside of the Economic and Monetary Union and kept the British pound as currency. In 2021, the country left the European Union with Brexit.

Content:

• Ecommerce events in the United Kingdom
• Ecommerce customers in the United Kingdom
• The ecommerce market in the United Kingdom
• Big online stores in the United Kingdom
• Latest ecommerce news from or about the United Kingdom

Ecommerce events in the United Kingdom

Every year there are several ecommerce events being organized in the United Kingdom. We have a handy ecommerce events calendar, where you can find all the major online retail events in Europe.

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Ecommerce customers in the United Kingdom

With a population of almost 68 million, the UK is a large and interesting market for online retailers. British consumers expect fast and precise delivery. Home delivery is less common than in other European countries, as picking up parcels at collection points is a daily habit for British people. Compared to other European shoppers, UK consumers are cautious about buying foreign products online.

British consumers are cautious buying foreign products.

In 2023, smartphones held the majority share of both online retail traffic and orders. However, consumers spend less when they are mobile shopping. In 2022, the average order value among online purchases was still highest on desktop devices, with UK shoppers spending an average of 116 euros on desktops, compared with 94 euros on tablets and 79 euros on mobile phones.

Popular payment methods in the UK

A study in 2021 from Merchant Advice Service found out that 67 percent of UK adults use digital wallets such as Apple Pay and Google Pay. Up to 24 percent of shoppers also want retailers to give them ‘buy now, pay later’ options, such as Klarna and Clear Pay.

Fashion and sporting goods are a very popular product category in the United Kingdom, followed by travel and household items. Other popular product categories are movies & music and books & magazines.

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The ecommerce market in the United Kingdom

For a long time, the UK was leading in European ecommerce. Due to the Brexit, crossborder sales from the UK dropped by 2021. With this, the country lost its number one position in Europe to Germany. Despite the Brexit, the United Kingdom is still one of the largest market for ecommerce.

The UK is one of the largest ecommerce markets in Europe.

Fashion is the largest market and accounts for 30 percent of the UK ecommerce revenue. It is followed by Food & Personal Care with 24.1 percent. Electronics & Media represent 18.6 percent, Toys, Hobby & DIY have 15.7 percent and Furniture & Appliances accounts for the remaining 11.6 percent.

Big online stores in the United Kingdom

The biggest players in the UK’s online retail market are Amazon, Tesco and eBay. Other big online retailers are Asos, Argos, Play.com, Next and John Lewis. Here you can find the top 10 online stores in the UK.

Read all our articles about ecommerce in the United Kingdom.