E-commerce is a powerful tool for international expansion and growth. Being the third largest e-Commerce market after China and the United States, and expected to reach about 55 million e-Commerce users in 2026, the UK is a promising and profitable market for online sales. This article(1) gives you some insights and key strategies needed before launching e-Commerce activities in this dynamic market.
What UK e-Commerce clients pay attention to?
- In B2C clients check :
- Value
- Price
- Reviews
- Delivery
- In B2B clients check :
- Simple online buying
- VAT invoices
- Business pricing
- Payment terms
Who are the leading UK online retailers?
- Amazon UK: default starting point and one of the world’s largest products search engine
- TikTok Shop: fast-growing social commerce, well-suited for Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG), mainly for beauty and lifestyle products and services
- Direct to consumer (DTC) / Shopify: full control of brand and data, but requires higher investment
- Major UK retailers Tesco, Argos, Sainsbury’s, Asda, John Lewis. May be relevant for certain categories of goods.
What are the best strategies to enter the UK market?
- Do your research to ensure product and market fit is complete and aligns with your target clientele’s needs and behaviour
- Choose the most appropriate channel to market maturity and UK shopping habits
- Select the right partners:
- Compliance experts: labelling, ingredients, product registration
- Logistics: regional fulfilment centres, reverse logistics
- Marketing: local language, platform expertise
- Retail / distributors leverage existing relationships
- Pay attention to the trademark requirements:
- If your trademark was registered before 2021: likely already to dispose a UK mark. Check the register, renewal date and UK use.
- If your trademark was registered starting from 2021: It is not covered. Apply to the UK IPO or via the Madrid system.
What are UK payment preferences?
- For B2C:
- 46% of UK online transactions are carried out direclty by credit card (2025)
- Digital wallets are growing
- Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) are gaining polularity in some categories
- For B2B:
- Clear VAT invoices
- Agreed payment terms
- Bank transfer
- Direct Debit for repeat.
Key figures:
- £30bn+ generated annually through UK online marketplace
- 60% of UK shoppers check Amazon before buying, even if they found the product elsewhere
- 57% of online shoppers globally now buy internationally
- 2m+ active third-party sellers competing for UK shopper attention
Who can help you ?
International Affairs of the Chamber of Commerce – United Kingdom Team: unitedkingdom@cc.lu
(1) This article was written with the kind contribution of Infinity Blue Group
