State of the UK digital economy, 2026

UK consumer online buying behavior remained stable during 2025, with only a modest shift away from retail store purchases toward online buying.

➤ Approximately one-third of UK consumers said they made fewer purchases at retail stores in 2025, compared to the prior year, while 28% cited making more online purchases year over year.

➤ Nearly half of surveyed adults indicated they primarily or mostly made purchases at retail stores. Less than one-quarter of survey respondents mostly or primarily purchased online.

➤ Amazon is the most popular e-commerce site in the UK, followed by eBay and Argos. Google Pay saw substantial growth in users over the past few years, but PayPal remains the dominant digital payment platform in the UK.

➤ About two-thirds of UK consumers buy groceries online, use mobile payment apps for in-store purchases and order restaurant food for delivery.

Results from the S&P Global Market Intelligence Kagan 2025 European Consumer Insights survey showed a small shift from retail store purchases to online buying in the UK. Half of internet adults said their retail purchases were about the same as a year ago, while 18% increased retail store purchases and one-third (32%) reported making fewer purchases at brick-and-mortar stores. Similarly, about half (49%) indicated their online purchases in 2025 were about the same as the year before, with 28% increasing online purchases and 22% purchasing less online year over year.

However, on deeper inspection, only 11% indicated they shifted more of their purchases to online sources and fewer retail purchases in 2025. Overall, 39% of surveyed adults cited no change in either their retail or online purchasing behavior from last year.

Nearly half of surveyed adults in 2024 and 2025 said they primarily or mostly purchased physical goods from retail stores. In 2025, 29% cited splitting their retail store and online purchases evenly, up a modest three percentage points over the previous year. Similarly, 24% of adults in 2025 reported making their purchases mostly or primarily from online sources; a decline of four percentage points from 2024.

Amazon continues to be the dominant e-commerce platform in the UK, with 78% of surveyed adults using the service in 2025, although it was down nine percentage points year over year. Temu, Shein, eBay and Facebook Marketplace showed positive year-over-year growth in 2025. Four out of 10 surveyed adults cited using Argos, a leading UK retailer’s e-commerce platform. Other UK e-commerce sites, such as Zalanda (specializing in fashion) and Ocado (groceries) have a much more modest customer base. Overall, 94% of surveyed UK adults said they had made online purchases.

Nearly all (97%) of surveyed UK adults also indicated they use digital payment platforms for retail store and online purchases. The survey data shows that PayPal has been the most popular digital payment platform since 2022, with six in 10 UK adults using the service. Yet, since 2023 Apple Pay and Google Pay have grown dramatically in popularity, doubling their base of users.

The survey results also highlight other key metrics pertaining to the UK’s digital economy. For instance, two-thirds (67%) of surveyed adults said they order groceries online. A similar number of consumers reported using a mobile app, such as Apple Pay, for in-store purchases and 65% cited placing online orders for restaurant food delivery. Four in 10 UK adults also indicated they use smart voice apps, such as Amazon’s Alexa or the Google Assistant to facilitate purchases using voice commands.

The Kagan European Consumer Insights surveys were conducted in December 2021-2025, consisting of approximately 1,000 internet adults in France, Germany, Italy, Sweden, Poland and the UK. The margin of error is +/-3.0 ppts at the 95% confidence level. Survey data should only be used to identify general market characteristics and directional trends.

Consumer Insights is a regular feature from S&P Global Market Intelligence Kagan