UK takes second place in international e-commerce survey

Friday, July 26, 2013 - 13:45 by Sarah Collinson

A report compiled by Nielsen, has revealed that when it comes to the international e-commerce market, British sites are the second most popular destination for cross-border shoppers.

Thirty seven percent of respondents said that they favoured using sites based in the UK to carry out safe shopping online, behind the 45 per cent approval rating which was granted to those operating out of the US.

Six thousand people took part in the study, with respondents pulled from various countries, including the UK, China, Brazil and Australia.

This year, it is expected that overseas shoppers will spend  10.3 billion at UK e-commerce sites. By 2018, this annual economic contribution will have risen to  24.4 billion, according to analysts.

The implications for e-commerce retailers in the UK are significant, because there is clearly a great deal of trust that can be tapped into amongst international consumers.

While many companies tend to focus on the domestic market, the opportunities that are available elsewhere are sure to be alluring.

The report was commissioned by PayPal and company spokesperson, Cameron McLean, said that in spite of ongoing economic woes, the export market for safe shopping online will continue to have a positive impact on the UK retail sector.

The UK is in a particularly good position to take advantage of cross-border e-commerce because many companies invested in this type of solution earlier than their international rivals, with British consumers also helping the market to grow and mature at a faster pace than elsewhere.

Mr McLean pointed out that the levels of trust in UK retailers are high because international consumers believe that they will be getting good customer service and high quality products, which is helping to further stimulate demand in foreign markets and boost British e-commerce sales.