Game-changer: UK still leads in European e-commerce sector
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There’s no denying that the UK is a business trailblazer. One such example is the e-commerce market, where it continues to enjoy ranking in the number one spot compared to other European countries.
Part of the reason for that is simple: Brits are tech-savvy. 98% of consumers access the Internet regularly, and 86% of those people buy goods and services online.
Of course, that’s only part of the picture. The following illustrates some of the other reasons why Britain continues to lead the way in the e-commerce sector, especially in the ever-competitive European market:
Innovative ways to shop online
British e-commerce retailers have consistently embraced cutting-edge technologies.
For example, in 2014, The National Lottery experimented with a mobile app that used augmented reality to give losing scratchcard holders a second chance to win by playing a mobile game.
The app, of course, also enabled consumers to purchase new tickets online through their mobile devices.
British e-commerce retailers continually offer innovative ways to buy online, such as scanning QR codes and smart technology that automatically orders consumables like printer toner or washing detergent.
Better packaging solutions
One topic always up for debate with consumers relates to the e-commerce packaging they receive whenever they buy online.
Thankfully, excessive packaging (or ineffective packaging) is virtually a thing of the past as companies have a higher selection of box and packaging sizes at their disposal.
Product manufacturers are also making e-commerce retailers’ lives easier by streamlining their product packaging, making items simpler and cheaper to ship to customers.
Also, most e-commerce packaging is widely recyclable and often made from recycled materials, minimising environmental impact and boosting consumer confidence in e-commerce brands.
Increased use of green technology
British e-commerce consumers care about the environment, and it is no surprise that many prefer to spend money with retailers that share those concerns and take them seriously.
Increasing numbers of e-commerce retailers boost their green credentials in many ways, from using electric delivery vehicles to generating most or even all their electricity using solar power.
Uber Eats also lets customers “share” their deliveries with others, resulting in a lower carbon footprint from their delivery partners.
More investment in mobile commerce
Mobile commerce investment consistently grows year on year in the UK. Perhaps unsurprisingly, most people buy online using their mobile phones and tablets instead of computers.
Again, Britain leads the way in e-commerce in this respect, thanks to the wealth of “m-commerce” apps from thousands of different retailers in the country.
One online brand, Style, reported a 400% increase in sales via mobile apps for 2021, and more than half of its sales since then continue to get completed this way.
Growing use of on-demand e-commerce services
Lastly, consumers enjoy on-demand access to many things, from Netflix to pizzas. People can simply go online or launch an app, buy something, and have it delivered to them in minutes rather than hours or days.
The UK leads the way with such online purchases, thanks to the wealth of services like Deliveroo, and retailers that offer same-day deliveries for anything from TVs to furniture.