Online retailers chalk up UK festive milestone

E-commerce represented 28.2% of all 2019 UK holiday retail sales, surpassing the 25% mark for the first time, according to eMarketer. Total retail sales for the season clocked in at £99.26 billion.

“Store closures are a big reason for shopper frustration and the subsequent shift to online as their preferred option,” says eMarketer Vice President of Forecasting Monica Peart.

E-commerce sales came partly at the expense of bricks and mortar, which dropped 3.8% to £71.27 billion during the 2019 holiday season. That’s the largest percentage drop since eMarketer began tracking UK retail spending in 2010.  

Online will grow 8.9% this year to reach £114.26 billion. M-commerce will represent half of all online sales for the first time. In 2020, it will grow 15.3% to reach £58.05 billion. Somewhat unsurprisingly, smartphones will continue to be the dominant device, accounting for 62.5% of m-commerce sales this year vs. 36.7% for tablets.

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