UK Ecommerce Market Size
| Study Period | 2019 - 2029 |
| Base Year For Estimation | 2023 |
| Market Size (2024) | USD 280.55 Billion |
| Market Size (2029) | USD 750.80 Billion |
| CAGR (2024 - 2029) | 21.76 % |
| Market Concentration | Low |
Major Players
*Disclaimer: Major Players sorted in no particular order |
Need a report that reflects how COVID-19 has impacted this market and its growth?
UK Ecommerce Market Analysis
The UK E-commerce Market size is estimated at USD 280.55 billion in 2024, and is expected to reach USD 750.80 billion by 2029, growing at a CAGR of 21.76% during the forecast period (2024-2029).
In recent decades, e-commerce has become popular as consumers shift their spending to online shopping. The supply side has been expanded by investments from Internet-focused enterprises and sellers who built their businesses through physical channels. While traditional retail sales have remained flat, regional revenues from online shopping have skyrocketed.
- The rise of online retailing adds to the never-ending pursuit of value for money. Online shoppers continue to look for the best prices and deals, increasing the proportion of money spent online. For shoppers looking for health, fashion and beauty, consumer electronics, travel services, and home and garden, the internet has become the natural place to look.
- Consumers in the country are increasingly aware of online identity theft and will only conduct financial transactions on secure websites. Almost all UK online businesses accept credit or debit card payments. Mastercard and Visa are the most commonly accepted credit cards, while American Express, Diners Club, and JCB are less common. Several websites use Pay Pal and other similar services.
- With the continued rise of social networking and mobile internet access, businesses will likely increase their investment in e-commerce through social media marketing in the coming years. The benefits and strength of online sales contrast with the gloom in brick-and-mortar retailing, with physical stores filing for bankruptcy or administration.
- Expansion of E-commerce can raise competition in retail markets, increase consumer choice, and motivate and expedite product distribution innovation. However, several competition agencies' recent enforcement and advocacy work have revealed the possibility of anticompetitive behavior in the Internet context. Concerns about potential market fragmentation are thus significant among many organizations that have looked into the topic of e-commerce competition.
- The COVID-19 outbreak has long-term impacted the retail industry, influencing consumer purchasing habits and store and brand priorities. For example, companies have shifted to the online platform as consumers have become more reliant due to several store closures. Strong eCommerce companies like Amazon will undoubtedly benefit greatly from this.
UK Ecommerce Market Trends
The increasing ease of using alternative payment methods will propel the market
- According to the Office for National Statistics (UK), internet sales accounted for 25.9% of all sales in household goods retailers in Great Britain in December 2022, an increase over the previous month. The ease of using alternate payment methods apart from traditional cash transactions is driving the growth of e-commerce sales in the country.
- Similarly to the rest of the developed world, nearly every financial transaction in the country is mediated by technology. However, unlike its counterparts, the UK market sees a significant percentage of purchases made using an alternative payment method. Consumers in the United Kingdom are increasingly making regular payments using contactless, buy now, pay later, and bank transfer services. For example, according to Worldpay, the market share of e-wallets or digital wallets in the United Kingdom in 2022 was 35%.
- Contactless payments are becoming more popular as a percentage of all transactions. Furthermore, the vast majority of these customers use mobile and tap cards. Google Pay and Apple Pay are two of the most popular contactless payment methods.
- Furthermore, the rise of mobile shopping in the country is increasing the popularity of eWallets. eWallet use is increasing at twice the rate of card use, with PayPal leading the way. In the UK, eWallet adoption may accelerate further as online shoppers embrace cross-border shopping with the rest of Europe.
Fashion and Apparel to Occupy Significant Market Share
- A substantial share of the market is expected to be contributed by the Fashion and Apparel Segment by 2022. The monthly internet retail sales index of textiles, clothing, and footwear products in the United Kingdom (UK) reached a four-year high in December 2020, when the sales index stood at 217.5, according to the Office for National Statistics. Internet apparel sales fell to 113.6 index points in January 2022.
- Consumers in United Kingdom (UK) households have increased their clothing spending over time, exceeding GBP 62.2 billion in 2022, according to the Office of National Statistics.
- Fashion brands and retailers continue to use eCommerce technology for more interesting purposes. Customers who see models wearing an entire outfit can click on each item to add it to their cart or read more product information. Thanks to intelligent styling algorithms, attractive images, and occasionally human stylist input (AOV), fashion retailers have delivered brilliant brand discovery experiences and generated significant brand loyalty that engages consumers and raise average order value. Such technological applications will drive the market in the region.
- Finally, fashion customers want to find a product quickly. A simple and effective filter system improves the interface of an online store. Using the best filtering, customers can easily access additional areas of an online fashion business. As a result, buyers are able to find products that are similar to the ones they were looking for, while still enjoying the purchasing process. Fashion buyers can also use a variety of outlets to filter for themselves.
UK Ecommerce Industry Overview
The UK e-commerce market is fragmented, with many players in the market. However, a few prominent players in the market, such as Amazon UK, occupy a considerable market share. Players like eBay and Asos are also trying to increase their share in the market. Moreover, the growing e-commerce industry is also encouraging the development of distribution centers across the country.
- November 2023 - Amazon collaborates with the UK government to support small businesses. With support from the UK Government, the company has launched the Great British Brands store on Amazon.co.uk. International customers can discover many items from small UK businesses, artisans, and iconic British brands here. With this store, the company wants to celebrate UK brands and businesses who have embarked on a journey to sell their products worldwide.
UK Ecommerce Market Leaders
Amazon.com, Inc.
Ebay UK
Asos
Currys PC World
Gumtree
*Disclaimer: Major Players sorted in no particular order
UK Ecommerce Market News
- July 2023 - Amazon has said that it invested more than 4.2 billion pounds (USD 5.4 billion) in the U.K. creative industries since 2010, spending that it claims has contributed some 4.8 billion pounds (USD 6.1 billion) of gross value. As part of its ongoing investment, the company has also announced support for more than 100 new apprenticeships in organizations.
UK Ecommerce Market Report - Table of Contents
1. INTRODUCTION
1.1 Study Assumptions and Market Definitions
1.2 Scope of the Study
2. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
3. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
4. MARKET INSIGHTS
4.1 Market Overview
4.2 Industry Attractiveness-Porter's Five Forces Analysis
4.2.1 Bargaining Power of Suppliers
4.2.2 Bargaining Power of Buyers/Consumers
4.2.3 Threat of New Entrants
4.2.4 Threat of Substitute Products
4.2.5 Intensity of Competitive Rivalry
4.3 Key Market Trends and Share of E-commerce of Total Retail Sector
4.4 Impact of Macro Economic trends on the E-commerce Sales
5. MARKET DYNAMICS
5.1 Market Drivers
5.1.1 Increase developments of 5G Technology
5.1.2 Increased Adoption of Online Payments
5.2 Market Challenges
5.2.1 Data Security
5.3 Analysis of Key Demographic Trends and Patterns Related to E-commerce Industry in United Kingdom (Coverage to include Population, Internet Penetration, ecommerce Penetration, Age & Income etc.)
5.4 Analysis of the Key Modes of Transaction in the E-commerce Industry in United Kingdom (coverage to include prevalent modes of payment such as cash, card, bank transfer, wallets, etc.)
5.5 Analysis of Cross-border E-commerce Industry in United Kingdom(Current market value of cross-border & key trends)
5.6 Current Positioning of United Kingdom in the E-commerce Industry in Region Europe
6. Market Segmentation
6.1 By B2C E-commerce
6.1.1 Market size (GMV) for the Period of 2018-2028
6.1.2 Market Segmentation - by Application
6.1.2.1 Beauty & Personal Care
6.1.2.2 Consumer Electronics
6.1.2.3 Fashion & Apparel
6.1.2.4 Food & Beverage
6.1.2.5 Furniture & Home
6.1.2.6 Others (Toys, DIY, Media, etc.)
6.2 By B2B E-commerce
6.2.1 Market size for the Period of 2018-2028
7. Competitive Landscape
7.1 Company Profiles
7.1.1 Amazon.com Inc
7.1.2 Ebay UK
7.1.3 Asos
7.1.4 Currys PC World
7.1.5 Gumtree
7.1.6 Argos
7.1.7 John Lewis and Partners
7.1.8 Tesco
7.1.9 Marks and Spencers
7.1.10 Asda
- *List Not Exhaustive
8. Investment Analysis
9. Future Outlook of the Market
UK Ecommerce Industry Segmentation
Conducting an e-commerce business means fostering relationships and selling information, services, and goods over computer communication networks. E-commerce usually refers to trading goods and services over the Internet, which means broader economic activity. E-commerce consists of B2B and B2C and internal organizational transactions that support these activities.
The United Kingdom E-commerce market is segmented by b2c e-commerce (beauty and personal care, consumer electronics, fashion and apparel, food and beverage, furniture and home) and b2b e-commerce.. The market sizes and forecasts are provided in terms of value (USD) for all the above segments.
| By B2C E-commerce | ||||||||
| Market size (GMV) for the Period of 2018-2028 | ||||||||
|
| By B2B E-commerce | |
| Market size for the Period of 2018-2028 |
UK Ecommerce Market Research FAQs
How big is the UK E-commerce Market?
The UK E-commerce Market size is expected to reach USD 280.55 billion in 2024 and grow at a CAGR of 21.76% to reach USD 750.80 billion by 2029.
What is the current UK E-commerce Market size?
In 2024, the UK E-commerce Market size is expected to reach USD 280.55 billion.
Who are the key players in UK E-commerce Market?
Amazon.com, Inc., Ebay UK, Asos, Currys PC World and Gumtree are the major companies operating in the UK E-commerce Market.
What years does this UK E-commerce Market cover, and what was the market size in 2023?
In 2023, the UK E-commerce Market size was estimated at USD 219.50 billion. The report covers the UK E-commerce Market historical market size for years: 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023. The report also forecasts the UK E-commerce Market size for years: 2024, 2025, 2026, 2027, 2028 and 2029.
What are the future trends expected in the UK E-Commerce Market?
Key future trends in the United Kingdom E-Commerce Market are: a) Rise of AI and personalization b) Increased use of voice search c) Expansion of omnichannel retailing d) Growth of sustainable and ethical shopping practices
Online Retail in UK Industry Report
The UK's e-commerce landscape is booming, fueled by digitalization and a growing preference for online shopping. Advanced technologies like AI and automation are enhancing user experiences with personalized services, while the shift towards mobile commerce underscores the need for mobile optimization among UK e-commerce companies. The market, thriving across segments like beauty, electronics, and fashion, benefits from the convenience and variety online shopping offers. Innovations in social commerce and digital payments are making shopping more accessible, amidst a competitive environment where companies strive to offer flexibility and personalized experiences. This dynamic market offers UK e-commerce companies significant opportunities to meet the diverse needs of their customer base. According to Mordor Intelligence™ Industry Reports, the Online Retail in UK market is witnessing substantial growth in market share, size, and revenue, with detailed analysis and forecasts available in their free report PDF download, highlighting the promising outlook for UK e-commerce companies.
