In November 2024, internet sales accounted for 26.2 percent of all retail sales in Great Britain. Over the considered period, food online sales did not go over nine percent of total retail sales.

Online retail in the United Kingdom has been gaining ground in the past decade. With the onset of the coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis, the value of online retail sales in the United Kingdom is estimated to reach just below 120 billion British pounds in 2021. In 2022, the figure decreased to 106 billion British pounds.

What ranks high in UK e-commerce?
In the United Kingdom, clothing and household goods were the most popular retail items consumers purchased through the internet in 2020. Data published by the Office for National Statistics (UK) showed that other leisure activities and services such as booking holiday accommodations, travel arrangements and event tickets were other areas consumers depended on the internet to buy.

German e-commerce market

The UK might have the highest share of online sales in retail trade, but other European countries such as Germany and France have had impressive track records over the years as well. According to the forecasts provided by German E-commerce and Distance Selling Trade Association (bevh), the market volume of Germany’s e-commerce sector was projected to see over 90 billion euros in 2021.

This chart illustrates the estimated sales amounts generated by stores on various platforms within United Kingdom. WooCommerce shows a significant lead, with total sales amounting to $276.71B, which constitutes 28.12% of the region's total sales on platforms. Custom Cart reports sales of $228.71B, accounting for 23.24% of the total platform sales in United Kingdom. HCL Commerce also holds a notable share, with its sales reaching $164.61B, representing 16.73% of the overall sales amount. This data provides a comprehensive view of the market dynamics in United Kingdom, highlighting which platforms are driving the most sales.

According to the source, the online share of retail sales in the United Kingdom (UK) was estimated to be 26.5 percent by the end of 2022. This figure is down from 2021, where online sales accounted for 28.9 percent of the online retail industry.

In United Kingdom, the estimated sales amount across various store categories provides key insights into the market's dynamics. Food & Drink, as a prominent category, generates significant sales, totaling $263.17B, which is 26.74% of the region's total sales in this sector. Home & Garden follows with robust sales figures, achieving $261.69B in sales and comprising 26.59% of the region's total. Health contributes a considerable amount to the regional market, with sales of $111.45B, accounting for 11.32% of the total sales in United Kingdom. This breakdown highlights the varying economic impacts of different categories within the region, showcasing the diversity and strengths of each sector.

In 2023, global retail e-commerce sales reached an estimated 5.8 trillion U.S. dollars. Projections indicate a 39 percent growth in this figure over the coming years, with expectations to surpass eight trillion dollars by 2027.

World players Among the key players on the world stage, the Chinese retail giant Alibaba holds the title of the largest e-commerce retailer globally, accounting for a 23 percent market share. Nevertheless, forecasts suggest that by 2027, Seattle-based e-commerce powerhouse Amazon will surpass Alibaba in estimated sales, reaching a staggering 1.2 trillion U.S. dollars in online sales.

Leading e-tailing countries The Chinese e-commerce market was the biggest worldwide in 2023, as internet sales constituted almost half of the country's retail transactions. Indonesia ranked second with the highest share of retail sales online (32 percent), closely trailed by the United Kingdom and South Korea, exceeding the 30 percent mark. That year, the up-and-coming e-commerce markets centered around Asia. The Philippines and India stood out as the swiftest-growing e-commerce markets based on online sales, anticipating a growth rate surpassing 20 percent.

A series of retail sales data for Great Britain in value and volume terms, seasonally and non-seasonally adjusted.

Global Spend Analysis with Consumer Edge Credit & Debit Card Transaction Data

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Public and private investors can leverage insights from CE’s synthetic data to assess investment opportunities, while consumer insights, marketing, and retailers can gain visibility into transaction data’s potential for competitive analysis, understanding shopper behavior, and capturing market intelligence.

Most popular use cases among public and private investors include: • Track Key KPIs to Company-Reported Figures • Understanding TAM for Focus Industries • Competitive Analysis • Evaluating Public, Private, and Soon-to-be-Public Companies • Ability to Explore Geographic & Regional Differences • Cross-Shop & Loyalty • Drill Down to SKU Level & Full Purchase Details • Customer lifetime value • Earnings predictions • Uncovering macroeconomic trends • Analyzing market share • Performance benchmarking • Understanding share of wallet • Seeing subscription trends

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In November 2024, the value of internet sales as a percentage of total retail sales in Great Britain amounted to 26.2 percent. This was a slight decrease compared with the previous month, when online retail sales accounted for 27.5 percent of total retail sales.

Online sales account for an increasingly large share of all retail sales in Great Britain. The figure grew steadily each year to reach nearly 31 percent in 2021, before declining to 26.6 percent in 2022. In 2010, only 7.4 percent of total retail sales were made online.

This chart provides a detailed overview of the number of United Kingdom online retailers by Monthly Sales. Most United Kingdom stores' Monthly Sales are Less than $100.00, there are 255.36K stores, which is 97.05% of total. In second place, 5.82K stores' Monthly Sales are $10.00M to $100.00M, which is 2.21% of total. Meanwhile, 987 stores' Monthly Sales are $100.00K to $1.00M, which is 0.38% of total. This breakdown reveals insights into United Kingdom stores distribution, providing a comprehensive picture of the performance and efficient of online retailer.

United Kingdom RSI: SIC07: ISV: % of Total Retail: NF: Non Specialised Stores data was reported at 23.600 % in Mar 2020. This records an increase from the previous number of 16.100 % for Feb 2020. United Kingdom RSI: SIC07: ISV: % of Total Retail: NF: Non Specialised Stores data is updated monthly, averaging 10.000 % from Jan 2009 (Median) to Mar 2020, with 135 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 23.600 % in Mar 2020 and a record low of 4.800 % in Aug 2010. United Kingdom RSI: SIC07: ISV: % of Total Retail: NF: Non Specialised Stores data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Office for National Statistics. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United Kingdom – Table UK.H013: Retail Sales Index: SIC 2007: Internet Sales Value as a Percent of Total Retail. [COVID-19-IMPACT]

Use of information and communication technology (ICT) and e-commerce activity by UK businesses. Annual data on e-commerce sales and how businesses are using the internet.

United Kingdom RSI: SIC07: ISV: % of Total Retail: Non Food Stores (NF) data was reported at 21.600 % in Mar 2020. This records an increase from the previous number of 15.100 % for Feb 2020. United Kingdom RSI: SIC07: ISV: % of Total Retail: Non Food Stores (NF) data is updated monthly, averaging 8.700 % from Jan 2009 (Median) to Mar 2020, with 135 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 21.600 % in Mar 2020 and a record low of 4.900 % in Apr 2009. United Kingdom RSI: SIC07: ISV: % of Total Retail: Non Food Stores (NF) data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Office for National Statistics. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United Kingdom – Table UK.H013: Retail Sales Index: SIC 2007: Internet Sales Value as a Percent of Total Retail. [COVID-19-IMPACT]

The online revenue of amazon.co.uk amounted to US$18,456.9m in 2024. Discover eCommerce insights, including sales development, shopping cart size, and many more.

Descriptions and categories of the Internet Sales Index and their percentage of all retailing for Great Britain.

United Kingdom RSI: SIC07: ISV: % of Total Retail: sa: All Retailing excl AF data was reported at 22.300 % in Mar 2020. This records an increase from the previous number of 19.900 % for Feb 2020. United Kingdom RSI: SIC07: ISV: % of Total Retail: sa: All Retailing excl AF data is updated monthly, averaging 11.000 % from Jan 2008 (Median) to Mar 2020, with 147 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 22.300 % in Mar 2020 and a record low of 4.200 % in Jan 2008. United Kingdom RSI: SIC07: ISV: % of Total Retail: sa: All Retailing excl AF data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Office for National Statistics. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United Kingdom – Table UK.H014: Retail Sales Index: SIC 2007: Internet Sales Value as a Percent of Total Retail: Seasonally Adjusted. [COVID-19-IMPACT]

Retail Sales in the United Kingdom increased 1.70 percent in January of 2025 over the previous month. This dataset provides the latest reported value for - United Kingdom Retail Sales MoM - plus previous releases, historical high and low, short-term forecast and long-term prediction, economic calendar, survey consensus and news.

United Kingdom RSI: SIC07: ISV: % of Total Retail: All Retailing excl AF data was reported at 21.900 % in Mar 2020. This records an increase from the previous number of 19.000 % for Feb 2020. United Kingdom RSI: SIC07: ISV: % of Total Retail: All Retailing excl AF data is updated monthly, averaging 10.500 % from Nov 2006 (Median) to Mar 2020, with 161 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 21.900 % in Mar 2020 and a record low of 2.500 % in Dec 2006. United Kingdom RSI: SIC07: ISV: % of Total Retail: All Retailing excl AF data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Office for National Statistics. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United Kingdom – Table UK.H013: Retail Sales Index: SIC 2007: Internet Sales Value as a Percent of Total Retail. [COVID-19-IMPACT]

United Kingdom E Commerce Sales: Over a Website data was reported at 8.000 % in 2016. This records an increase from the previous number of 7.800 % for 2015. United Kingdom E Commerce Sales: Over a Website data is updated yearly, averaging 6.300 % from Dec 2008 (Median) to 2016, with 9 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 8.000 % in 2016 and a record low of 3.800 % in 2008. United Kingdom E Commerce Sales: Over a Website data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Office for National Statistics. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United Kingdom – Table UK.S029: E Commerce: Sales: Proportion of Business Turnover Derived From E Commerce: By Size of Business.