As the High Streets still struggle to maintain footfall, double and triple digit rises in searches for UK retailers from key export markets have contributed to the UK now being the world’s second biggest online retail exporter, beaten only by the USA.
These latest British Retail Consortium (BRC)-Google figures show UK retailers are investing heavily in international online experiences, localised websites and faster delivery times to drive exports following huge increases in searches from all of the most important four export markets.
There was a massive 231% rise in German smartphone searches for UK brands and a 78% surge in French tablet searches for UK retailers. These positive results were supported by big increases from the other key markets, the Netherlands and the United States. Increases in searches for UK department stores, 78 per cent up on smartphones and 46 per cent up on tablets, demonstrated the strength of these UK retailers.
Helen Dickinson, Director General, British Retail Consortium, said:
“There were also very positive results from the Russian Federation and Argentina. We will be working hard to make sure that these good trends are not undermined by proposals in these countries for import taxes targeted against cross-border internet sales.”
Peter Fitzgerald, (left) Retail Director, Google UK, said:
“This Christmas mobile truly came into its own. Those retailers who invested in cross-device experiences – allowing their customers to easily find, buy and discover no matter where they are -reaped the rewards.
“Export continued to be a key driver of growth for our retailers this Christmas, particularly for our clothing and beauty brands. Phenomenal smartphone growth was seen across both emerging and established markets, with 231% growth in smartphone searches from Germany over Q4.
“Finally gadgets continued to be the gift of choice this year, with consoles, tablets & games leading the charge. On smartphones, wedding related searches trended”. –
See more at: BRC
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Expressions of Interest sought for grant from GMCA’s Foundational Economy Innovation Fund