Products

EMARKETER delivers leading-edge research to clients in a variety of forms, including full-length reports and data visualizations to equip you with actionable takeaways for better business decisions.
PRO+
New data sets, deeper insights, and flexible data visualizations.
Learn More
Reports
In-depth analysis, benchmarks and shorter spotlights on digital trends.
Learn More
Forecasts
Interactive projections with 10k+ metrics on market trends, & consumer behavior.
Learn More
Charts
Proprietary data and over 3,000 third-party sources about the most important topics.
Learn More
Industry KPIs
Industry benchmarks for the most important KPIs in digital marketing, advertising, retail and ecommerce.
Learn More
Briefings
Client-only email newsletters with analysis and takeaways from the daily news.
Learn More
Analyst Access Program
Exclusive time with the thought leaders who craft our research.
Learn More

About EMARKETER

Our goal is to unlock digital opportunities for our clients with the world’s most trusted forecasts, analysis, and benchmarks. Spanning five core coverage areas and dozens of industries, our research on digital transformation is exhaustive.
Our Story
Learn more about our mission and how EMARKETER came to be.
Learn More
Methodology
Rigorous proprietary data vetting strips biases and produces superior insights.
Learn More
Our People
Take a look into our corporate culture and view our open roles.
Join the Team
Contact Us
Speak to a member of our team to learn more about EMARKETER.
Contact Us
Newsroom
See our latest press releases, news articles or download our press kit.
Learn More
Advertising & Sponsorship Opportunities
Reach an engaged audience of decision-makers.
Learn More
Events
Browse our upcoming and past events, recent podcasts, and other featured resources.
Learn More
Podcasts
Tune in to EMARKETER's daily, weekly, and monthly podcasts.
Learn More

5 trends disrupting the UK retail landscape

Last year, there was a huge shakeout in the UK’s retail landscape. Long-established names disappeared, hobbled by pandemic pressures, while a swath of digital-first players gained new customers. Though many digital (and some fast-adapting physical-first) players benefited hugely from the pandemic, it doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll remain relevant.

The UK is one of the world’s most mature retail ecommerce markets: This year, 36.3% of total UK retail sales will be digital sales, a share second only to that of China. Physical retail still has an important role to play, though, with some digital-only players beginning to see reduced demand now that in-store shopping has resumed.

We have identified five key trends that retailers should act on now if they want to remain relevant and thrive post-pandemic. While each trend is important, there’s a hierarchy of relevance and immediacy. We have ranked the trends as follows, giving each trend a “temperature check”:

  • Trend 1: Marrying physical and digital channels. All retailers need to have omnichannel on their radar. Even the biggest digital-first retailers understand the importance of a physical presence/strategy (Hot).
  • Trend 2: Maintaining a slick delivery experience. The UK had to deal with largely uncontrollable pandemic- and Brexit-caused complications to the supply chain. However, consumers won’t relax their expectations for speedy shipping unprompted. But retailers can, take the time to explain potential delays and ensure that their last-mile delivery and pickup options are up to snuff (Hot).
  • Trend 3: Making sustainability a core consideration. Consumer awareness of this issue was heightened during the pandemic, and it doesn’t show signs of easing. Retailers must take actions to address customer preferences in this regard (Hot).
  • Trend 4: Going direct-to-consumer (D2C). Several brands took advantage of going directly to consumers during the pandemic. As society reopens, consumers’ desire to interact with brands directly online has been “diluted” slightly, but it should still be an important tactic going forward (Warm).
  • Trend 5: Offering a subscription service. This is a somewhat niche trend, but for those retailer categories that it’s a good fit (replenishment items like shaving goods or food and drink), getting this strategy right will be vital (Lukewarm).