Fashion e-commerce in the United Kingdom (UK) - statistics & facts

A strong love for fashion is inextricably rooted in the history of the United Kingdom. From British royalty influencing commoners with their outfits to the cultural revolution of the 1960s that catapulted British styles worldwide, UK fashion is constantly undergoing transformation. Among the latest developments shaping the fashion world is e-commerce. In 2023, online sales of apparel, shoes, handbags, and accessories would collectively account for close to a third of e-commerce revenue in the United Kingdom, amounting to over 44 billion U.S. dollars. In the same year, more than 27 million Britons bought apparel over the internet, a figure forecast to grow to over 32 billion by 2028.

Fashion e-shopper demographics

Among those 27 million online fashion shoppers, the mass majority were younger consumers. With Gen Z’s affinity for the internet, it comes as no surprise that nearly 50 percent of Gen Z shoppers did most of their apparel shopping online, but Gen Z consumers weren’t actually the group most likely to do so. In the UK, about 70 percent of millennials from ages 27 to 42 were the ones most often renewing and refreshing their wardrobes with the aid of the internet. An even higher share of millennials bought clothing online on a monthly basis. Among online shoppers of all ages in the country, four percent more men than women preferred to shop online for apparel, while female shoppers were the group more consistently buying at least one fashion item online each month.

The stores sewing online fashion

Crowned alongside Milan, New York, and Paris as one of the world's fashion capitals, London is home to the best-known British designers and brands. This influence seems to have carried over into the digital world, with London-based ASOS and Marks & Spencer ranking as the most visited fashion and apparel websites in the UK in 2023. Even so, online retailers have sprung up across the country. The well-known Boohoo group, headquartered in Manchester, operates under seven brands—including PrettyLittleThing and NastyGal. Despite scandals over environmental and worker violations since mid-2020, and an 80-million-British-pound false advertising lawsuit settled by the company in 2022, Boohoo’s popularity among consumers has not yet suffered extreme backlash. In terms of online visibility, Boohoo’s website, boohoo.com, still ranked among the UK’s fashion websites with the largest shares of voice in the following year. Leading in this ranking was Next, followed by ASOS and e-commerce giant Amazon.
This text provides general information. Statista assumes no liability for the information given being complete or correct. Due to varying update cycles, statistics can display more up-to-date data than referenced in the text.
Published by Statista Research Department, Nov 27, 2023

Key insights

Fashion e-commerce revenue
42m USD
E-commerce as a share of total apparel sales
55%
Apparel e-commerce users
27.7m
Get more insights

Editor’s Picks Current statistics on this topic

Revenue of the fashion market in the United Kingdom from 2019 to 2028 (in billion U.S. dollars)

Key Figures of E-Commerce

Revenue of the fashion industry in the UK 2019-2028

Number of fashion e-commerce users in the United Kingdom from 2017 to 2028, by segment (in millions)

Key Figures of E-Commerce

Fashion e-commerce users in the UK 2017-2028, by segment

E-commerce as percentage of total apparel sales in the United Kingdom (UK) from 2018 to 2025

Key Figures of E-Commerce

E-commerce as share of total apparel sales in the UK 2018-2025

Related topics

Fashion e-commerce

3

E-commerce in the UK

3

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Overview

4

Overview

Segments

4

Segments

Retailers and brands

5

Retailers and brands

Users

5

Users

Consumption

5

Consumption

Brand awareness

7

Brand awareness

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Fashion e-commerce in Canada
Fashion e-commerce in Canada
Fashion e-commerce in the Nordics
Fashion e-commerce in the Nordics

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