UK: online shopping drivers 2023

The main driver for online shopping activity in the United Kingdom was free delivery, with 42 percent of digital buyers in the country reporting so. Another driver to purchase products online was having no hidden fees.

The rise of e-commerce in the UK with fashion leading the way

Already a part of daily life for millions of consumers in the UK, the popularity of online shopping only increased considerably after the COVID-19 pandemic. In the United Kingdom, e-commerce generated 118 billion U.S. dollars in revenue in 2023; revenue figures are forecast to grow in the coming years, reaching a total of 189 billion by 2029. The leading e-commerce industry was the fashion segment, accounting for a revenue of around 36 billion U.S. dollars.

Tesco leads UK's e-commerce food sector

Aside from fashion, the food sector also stands out when analyzing e-commerce in the United Kingdom. Food e-commerce generated 13.79 billion U.S. dollars in revenue in 2023. Tesco, the popular British grocery store which started its online activities in the 2000s, was the leading online grocery store in the country in 2023, generating net sales of around 4.16 billion U.S. dollars.

Purchase drivers when shopping online in the United Kingdom (UK) in 2023

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Release date

July 2023

More information

Region

United Kingdom

Survey time period

May 31 to July 19, 2023

Number of respondents

24,000 respondents*

Age group

18 years and older

Special properties

regular e-shoppers

Method of interview

Online survey

Supplementary notes

* The survey involved +24,000 participants across the following European countries: Czechia, Estonia, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.

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