In 2013, the estimated value of total e-commerce sales in the UK was £557 billion (in current prices), which represented nearly 20% of business turnover. The value of e-commerce sales (in 2013) has increased by 66% since 2008, when it accounted for 14% of business turnover. The figures come in a report by the Office for National Statistics.
The value of website sales has grown over recent years, from £111bn in 2009 to £193bn in 2013. The proportion of business turnover accounted for by website sales has risen steadily since 2010 and accounted for nearly 7% of business turnover in 2013.
Improvements in the reliability and coverage of 3G and 4G networks, along with more businesses offering wireless hotspots (for example in shops, restaurants and coffee shops), have also helped the e-commerce market in the UK to grow. Consumers now have far greater access to the internet while “on the go” that is accessing the internet away from work or home.
Use of mobile phones, smartphones, and portable computers (for example laptops, tablets, etc) has also increased. In 2015, seven out of 10 adults (aged 16 years and over) in Great Britain purchased goods or services over the internet (within the past three months). Of these consumers who purchased online, over 80% (or 57% of the Great Britain adult population) also used their mobile phone or smartphone to access the internet while “on the go”. Two-fifths (39%) of Great Britain’s adult population purchased on the internet and also used a portable computer to access the internet “on the go” in 2015.
Despite these developments, 30% of adults did not purchase over the internet within the past 3 months.
The wholesale industries account for the largest value of website sales relative to other industries in the UK, with website sales reaching £60bn in 2013, up from £39bn in 2009. However, the manufacturing industries have experienced the strongest proportional growth over the period, with turnover from website sales growing nearly threefold since 2009 to £15bn.
The proportion of businesses making website sales has increased by 31% between 2009 and 2013. The largest increases were in the retail, wholesale and manufacturing industries, which experienced growth in excess of 40% in businesses selling via websites over the same period.
Very large companies, defined as having 1000 or more employees, have the largest website sales – both in value and as a percentage of turnover. These types of businesses predominantly sell to private customers (£72bn in 2013), rather than sales to businesses or public authorities (£28bn in 2013). However, large companies, defined as between 250 and 999 employees, are more likely to sell to businesses and public authorities than private customers, whereas small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are just as likely to sell to businesses and public authorities as private customers, over websites.
Website sales contribute more for larger businesses. Businesses with between 10 and 49 and 50 and 249 employees gain a lower proportion of turnover from website sales, just under 4% for both. Whereas, larger companies (i.e. those with over 250, but fewer than 1000 employees) gain just over 6% of their total turnover from website sales and the largest companies (that is those with over 1000 employees) gain just over 10% of their turnover from website sales.
http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/rdit2/e-commerce-and-internet-use/analysis…
On 8 October, the Office for National Statistics will be holding an event called How e-commerce is changing the shape of business. This will be held at the BIS Conference Centre, London. The event will feature a range of talks from users, producers and suppliers of e-commerce business statistics, from government, international organisations and business. For more information about the event, or to register your attendance, please email [email protected].