UK online channels captured 17 percent of total retail sales. Black Friday generated 11.9 billion pounds in online revenue. E-commerce payment fraud losses reached 3.6 billion pounds.
Key Takeaways
- 3.8% growth in UK online retail sales value in 2024 compared with 2023
- 17.0% share of UK retail sales taken by online channels in 2023
- £11.9 billion online retail sales during Black Friday 2024
- 55% of online shoppers in the UK used marketplaces (e.g., Amazon/eBay) at least occasionally in 2024
- 63% of UK online shoppers used marketplaces rather than brand sites in 2024
- 61% of UK online adults used mobile for online shopping at least once in 2024
- 34% of UK online shoppers reported concerns about payment security in 2024
- £167 million UK e-commerce chargebacks reported for 2023
- 1.6 million instances of online shopping fraud reported in the UK in 2023
- £1.7 billion UK online retailers’ total last-mile delivery spend in 2023
- £0.38 average cost of processing a return for UK retailers in 2023
- 20% of UK online shoppers used augmented reality (AR) features when deciding what to buy (2024)
- 36% of UK online retailers reported using chatbots for customer service in 2024
- 49% of UK online retailers reported offering buy-now-pay-later (BNPL) options in 2024
- £420 million UK phishing-related losses connected to consumer online accounts were reported for 2023
UK online retail grew 3.8% in 2024, with fraud and payment security concerns still top challenges for shoppers.
Related reading
01 · Category
Market Size4 stats
01
3.8% growth in UK online retail sales value in 2024 compared with 2023
02
17.0% share of UK retail sales taken by online channels in 2023
03
£11.9 billion online retail sales during Black Friday 2024
04
12% of all UK retail sales were online during the Christmas period 2024 (Dec 2–Dec 21 proxy period)
Interpretation
Market Size Interpretation
For the Market Size angle, UK online retail is expanding with a 3.8% rise in 2024 versus 2023 and already accounts for 17.0% of total retail sales in 2023, while peak demand is substantial with £11.9 billion in Black Friday 2024 and 12% of all Christmas period retail sales moving online.
02 · Category
User Adoption3 stats
01
55% of online shoppers in the UK used marketplaces (e.g., Amazon/eBay) at least occasionally in 2024
02
63% of UK online shoppers used marketplaces rather than brand sites in 2024
03
61% of UK online adults used mobile for online shopping at least once in 2024
Interpretation
User Adoption Interpretation
User adoption is clearly marketplace and mobile driven in the UK, with 63% of online shoppers using marketplaces in 2024 and 61% of adults shopping on mobile at least once that year.
03 · Category
Fraud & Trust5 stats
01
34% of UK online shoppers reported concerns about payment security in 2024
02
£167 million UK e-commerce chargebacks reported for 2023
03
1.6 million instances of online shopping fraud reported in the UK in 2023
04
£3.9 billion cybercrime cost to the UK in 2023 (including consumer losses linked to cyber-enabled fraud such as online scams)
05
£3.6 billion UK e-commerce payment fraud losses in 2023
Interpretation
Fraud & Trust Interpretation
In 2023, the UK saw 1.6 million reports of online shopping fraud alongside £3.6 billion in e-commerce payment fraud losses, reinforcing that for Fraud and Trust the biggest risk is not just isolated scams but large scale financial harm.
04 · Category
Cost & Efficiency2 stats
01
£1.7 billion UK online retailers’ total last-mile delivery spend in 2023
02
£0.38 average cost of processing a return for UK retailers in 2023
Interpretation
Cost & Efficiency Interpretation
In the Cost & Efficiency space, UK retailers spent £1.7 billion on last mile delivery in 2023 while processing returns averaged just £0.38 each, highlighting that delivery remains the biggest cost pressure compared with returns.
More related reading
05 · Category
Industry Trends4 stats
01
20% of UK online shoppers used augmented reality (AR) features when deciding what to buy (2024)
02
36% of UK online retailers reported using chatbots for customer service in 2024
03
49% of UK online retailers reported offering buy-now-pay-later (BNPL) options in 2024
04
19% of UK online retailers said they use warehouse automation (e.g., automated picking/sorting) to improve fulfilment speed
Interpretation
Industry Trends Interpretation
In 2024, UK online shopping is being reshaped by fast adoption of new capabilities, with 49% of retailers offering buy now pay later and 36% using chatbots, alongside 20% of shoppers engaging with augmented reality features.
06 · Category
Risk & Fraud2 stats
01
£420 million UK phishing-related losses connected to consumer online accounts were reported for 2023
02
43% of UK online shoppers reported that they avoid retailers that do not show security/trust badges at checkout in 2024
Interpretation
Risk & Fraud Interpretation
In the Risk & Fraud context, UK shoppers and criminals are colliding, with £420 million in phishing losses tied to consumer online accounts in 2023 alongside 43% of online shoppers avoiding retailers that lack security or trust badges at checkout in 2024.
07 · Category
Performance Metrics1 stats
01
2.6% of UK online orders were returned on average in 2023 (return rate estimate)
Interpretation
Performance Metrics Interpretation
In 2023, UK online retailers saw an average 2.6% return rate, a key performance metric that signals relatively low return pressure in online shopping.
report visual · Comparison
Online shopping adoption in the UK (2024)
Most UK online shoppers use marketplaces and many shop on mobile, highlighting how discovery and convenience drive online retail.
63% of UK online shoppers used marketplaces rather than brand sites in 202463%
61% of UK online adults used mobile for online shopping at least once in 2024
61%
17.0% share of UK retail sales taken by online channels in 2023
17%
12% of all UK retail sales were online during the Christmas period 2024 (Dec 2–Dec 21 proxy period)
12%
source-verifieddelveinsight.co.uk · ofcom.org.uk · ons.gov.uk · imrg.org2024
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Aisha Okonkwo. (2026, February 13). Online Shopping Uk Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/online-shopping-uk-statistics
MLA
Aisha Okonkwo. "Online Shopping Uk Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/online-shopping-uk-statistics.
Chicago
Aisha Okonkwo. 2026. "Online Shopping Uk Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/online-shopping-uk-statistics.
Sources & references
21 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+2 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)