While we’ve been hyping ourselves into a frenzy about topics like the internet of things and the sharing economy, Britain has quietly been climbing the ranks to become the world’s leading e-commerce exporter according to research released by OC&C Strategy Consultants and Google.
In 2013 alone British sites produced a trade surplus of £720m, beating the US and Germany.
International sales are predicted to grow even further and make up to 40% of total online sales by 2020.
The report’s finding are based on the value of e-retail searches on Google for the UK, US, Germany, the Nordics, the Netherlands and France.
Britain’s booming e-commerce sector
British brands performed strongly across all sectors, with luxury goods, fashion and footwear our star performers.
Britain’s top e-commerce companies |
| Wiggle |
| Farfetch |
| Isabella Oliver |
| Feel Unique |
| Surfdome |
| Corsets UK |
| Asos |
UK retailers were praised for their choice, pricing and user experience.
Both Asos and Wiggle were noted for their market leading delivery and returns policies.
The research also found early stage companies including London-based Farfetch are embracing international opportunities faster than their larger competitors.
SMEs currently receive half of their online searches from overseas as they are more likely to offer international shipping and multi-lingual websites.
Commenting on the findings, Peter Fitzgerald, Director at Google, said:
“The majority of non-UK searches are currently coming from Europe, followed by North America and Asia, driven by the increased popularity of British brands abroad. Retailers can use search data to identify pockets of demand and move quickly to meet the needs of customers.”