E‑commerce in the UK

The UK’s withdrawal from the EU has changed cross‑border trade: New customs, tax and delivery process requirements are making market access more difficult—especially for retailers working without a local office. Many providers from the EU have therefore withdrawn from the UK market.

At the same time, online demand in the UK remains high—e‑commerce sales are over 220 billion pounds per year. There is a real advantage for online retailers who adapt to this new environment: Less competition while the demand remains the same.

Those with an efficient supply chain can gain market share—and position themselves for success in the long term.

Online shopping is firmly anchored in the everyday lives of British consumers: Around 73% of the total population—or over 50 million people—shop online. 80% of these online shoppers make a digital purchase at least once a month.

In British e-commerce, debit cards (Visa, Mastercard) dominate sales, closely followed by digital wallets (PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay). Credit cards are used much less frequently, while Buy Now, Pay Later offers (Klarna, Clearpay) have become more important and continue to grow. Direct debits and bank transfers are used primarily for subscriptions and recurring payments.

British online retail is strongly driven by marketplaces—at the same time, since Brexit, the market has been one of the most complex in Europe. Technical integrations, tax requirements and customs-related processes pose challenges for many providers.

With exporto as your partner, you are ideally equipped to handle cross‑border business to the UK fast and easily.

Local last-mile carriers, flexible delivery options and transparent communication are key to meeting the high expectations of British customers.

As a company with a very long tradition, Royal Mail enjoys a wide reach in the UK and is particularly popular in rural and remote areas.

Evri, formerly known as Hermes, also offers low-cost options with broad coverage across the UK.

The returns rate in the UK is between 20 and 30%, which is well above the European average. In the fashion segment, it is even higher.

One of the reasons for this is the high proportion of fast fashion and a pronounced buy-to-try mentality. However, 79% of fashion retailers charge return fees.

Customer expectations are clear: simple return options, fast refunds and transparent processes.