The United Kingdom

Amazon announced plans to use drones while delivering packages to customers in the United Kingdom and Italy starting next year, with services set to commence at undisclosed locations before the end of 2024. Selected customers will be able to have items weighing up to approximately 2 kilograms delivered to their gardens by a drone.

Boohoo Group reflects on a meager half-year in which revenue declined by 17 percent. Particularly in the United Kingdom, which accounts for most of its revenue, the company suffered significantly. The group's loss (adjusted EBIT) amounted to 3.9 million pounds.

British fashion retailer JD Sports has reached an agreement to take over Courir. The company will pay 520 million euros for the French retail chain. Courir has more than 300 stores and is active in several countries.

Software provider for ecommerce brands, Shop Circle, has raised 120 million dollars (111.8 million euros) in a funding round. The startup will use the capital injection to expand its suite of products. It wants to become a one-stop shop software provider for online sellers.

European ecommerce fulfillment company Huboo has grown more than 130 percent in the last year. According to the company, it raked in over 23.4 million euros (20 million British pounds) in new business.

TikTok will cease TikTok Storefront and its associated Shopify integration within the next two weeks. European merchants will need to sell directly on TikTok Shop in the future to attract customers on the rapidly growing platform.

Starting on September 18^th, ecommerce giant Amazon will charge Prime members for same-day delivery in the United Kingdom. The fee will apply to orders under 20 British pounds (23.5 euros). Other delivery options will remain free for Prime members.

Amazon is making a fresh start with Amazon Shipping, the shipping service that online retailers can also utilize for orders beyond the platform. The service has been reintroduced in the United Kingdom and is now also accessible to online retailers in France, Italy, and Spain.

Less than half (41 percent) of shoppers in the United Kingdom think that artificial intelligence (AI) is having a positive impact on their retail experiences. However, over two-thirds (70 percent) do prefer brands with personalized recommendations, which is how AI is often used in online retail.

In June and July, consumers in the United Kingdom spent a total of 21.5 billion euros (18.6 billion British pounds) online. This is a year-on-year growth of 1.6 percent when compared to the same period last year. It is the first growth in seventeen months.

TikTok started providing logistics services to sellers in the United Kingdom. The company is introducing a program called 'Fulfilled by TikTok', or FBT for short. Interested sellers will hand over a volume of their stock.

Ocado has returned to profitability on a group level. The British online supermarket and solutions provider reported a gross profit (EBITDA) of 16.6 million pounds for the first half of this year. According to CEO Tim Steiner, Ocado demonstrates 'the potential for our international ambitions'.

Amazon and eBay are facing a declining number of mobile app users in the United Kingdom. According to market research agency GWS, Amazon has seen a million daily mobile shoppers disappear since the beginning of this year, eBay even almost two million. Meanwhile, Shein and Temu are storming the download lists.

OnBuy, dubbed by The Financial Times as the 'fastest growing ecommerce company in Europe', owes its success to its independent position towards the retailers in its marketplace.

PayPal is offering passkeys outside of its US home market for the first time. The user-friendly login feature becomes available in Germany and the United Kingdom.