UK is the third most popular market globally for online cross-border shopping

The UK has been revealed as the third most shopped market for international online purchases, topped only by China and the US.

According to new research from cross-border e-commerce technology and services provider, eShopWorld (ESW), 20% of non-UK consumers have shopped from UK retail sites in the past year, cementing the UK's reputation as a leader in online retail.

The figures have been taken from the Global Voices 2021: Cross-Border Shopper Insights survey of more than 22,000 consumers across eleven countries, which also revealed that the top five markets for cross-border purchases from the UK were Australia (37%), the United States (29%), Germany (26%), France (24%) and Singapore (23%). 

While other markets were lower, such as Mexico (6%), Russia (8%), Chile (10%), Turkey (16%) and Canada (17%), ESW said this demonstrated demand and room for growth for UK retailers.

The high percentage of cross-border purchasing from the UK reflected the desirability of British brands and products to global consumers, commented Tommy Kelly, CEO of ESW. 

“Our survey data shows that that people are increasingly embracing international e-commerce as more retailers and brands eliminate friction by offering convenience within the buying journey, and adding capabilities such as click and collect, return to store and guaranteed delivery date.

"People are still restricted in their ability to travel and shop in person around the world, and cross-border ecommerce continues to be an attractive alternative for these shoppers," said.

Kelly added that there was a particular opportunity for UK e-commerce businesses to sell to markets such as Russia, Turkey and Mexico since they are high spenders on international e-commerce but, at the moment, spend relatively little on UK websites.

“Our research shows shoppers in Russia, Mexico and Turkey are spending far more on average on cross-border purchases making a clear business case for UK retailers and brands to look beyond their traditional markets to tap the potential revenue latent in these emerging markets.

"To reap the benefits of this demand, retailers need to offer localised shopping experiences where e-commerce customers in these markets feel as if they are receiving the same level of service and convenience they would enjoy if shopping locally,” Kelly said.

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