UK e-commerce market boasts fantastic trade surplus for 2013.

Good news folks, the UK`s e-commerce industry is still doing very well according to new figures released. Also if your e-commerce business is fashion related then you will be pleased to know that this sector of the industry is the one doing the best at the moment.

The UK`s online retail market produced an estimated trade surplus of £720m in 2013, based on  new research by OC&C Strategy Consultants and search engine Google.

The Global Retail E-mpire report examined Google searches throughout six key e-commerce markets: the US, UK, Germany, the Nordics, the Netherlands, and France. These represent half of global online retail sales in terms of search volumes.

The surplus calculations reflect that UK-based e-tailers sell more goods overseas than are purchased by British consumers from e-commerce companies outside Britain.

“The Google search data provided a unique insight into what proportion of traffic is from overseas,” explained OC&C Strategy partner Anita Balchandani. “We also obtained proprietary access to shipments data to show parcel volumes.”

The UK, which has more popular e-commerce brands per capita than rival nations, ran the biggest surplus, followed by the US, with £110m, and Germany, with £12m.

The UK’s e-commerce success has been led by the fashion sector. Brands such as Net-a-porter, ASOS and Farfetch rank well among the top 20 most sought after retailers by international buyers. Burberry, Dr Martens and Barbour are the most searched for British brands overseas.

“Global searching is becoming the new norm in retail,” said Ms Balchandani. “Consumers around the world use the internet as a global shop window. What used to be a local, national market is now a global one.

“The UK is home to brands that are loved and trusted around the world but we are also unbeatable on service and price,” she continued. “We offer more payment methods, languages and shipment options that any other nation.”

The report also forecasted that online exchange between these top e-commerce countries will increase fivefold to £79bn by 2020, up from £15bn in 2013.