UK online retail sector set for record breaking year, Adobe research

UK shoppers spent £10.4 billion online in October, an increase of 5% on last year’s Covid driven gains, according to research by Adobe.

The figure is the highest ever online spend in October and 58% higher than in 2019. 

This brings the UK’s year-to-date online spending to £94 billion, up 12% YoY and 55% when compared with the same period in 2019. 

With the majority of the Christmas shopping period still to come, Adobe says the UK will eclipse last year’s figures and set a new record for e-commerce sales.

The company uses Adobe Analytics to analyse billions of online transactions on UK retail sites. It also conducted a survey of 2,000 UK consumers in the first week of November.

This found: UK consumers are prioritising convenience over hunting down the best price for their items, despite 59% fearing their outlay on Christmas gifts and experiences are more expensive this year. 

Brits no longer believe in the deals being offered by retailers and are becoming so fatigued by Black Friday that most of them ignore it altogether. 

Shoppers are also so worried about supply chain issues and driver shortages that they’re taking to stores in person this Christmas to make sure they get their gifts on time. 

Paul Robson, President of International at Adobe, says: “UK online spend continues to hit new heights as we come into the crucial Christmas trading period, even outperforming 2020 figures when consumers had little option but to shop online.”

“We are seeing a growing scepticism around pre-Christmas discounts and shopping events like Black Friday, with many consumers putting convenience first this year and looking to get all their gifts from a single retailer.”

“This presents retailers with a huge opportunity. Those that can target shoppers with bespoke deals to lure them in and provide a seamless digital shopping experience will be this year’s big winners.”