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Shambhavi Prakash Pai, Marketing Manager at GFS, explores growth levers for UK ecommerce considering international shipping as the next lever to pull:
UK eCommerce is one of the most advanced and competitive online retail markets in the world. High digital adoption, sophisticated consumer expectations and intense competition mean that domestic growth is increasingly incremental.
For many retailers, the next meaningful opportunity doesn’t lie at home. It lies overseas.
Cross-Border Demand Is Already There
Global consumers are now comfortable buying from overseas brands. Around 59% of online shoppers worldwide have purchased from an international retailer, showing that cross-border shopping is firmly mainstream (Amra & Elma).
Today, cross-border transactions account for roughly 20–30% of global eCommerce sales, depending on market and category (Amra & Elma; Capital One Shopping). For UK retailers with strong brands and differentiated products, demand already exists well beyond domestic borders.
The Market Is Scaling Faster Than Domestic eCommerce
The global cross-border eCommerce market was valued at approximately $1.47 trillion in 2025 and is forecast to reach $4.8 trillion by 2032, growing at around 18% CAGR (Coherent Market Insights).
This growth is being fuelled disproportionately by emerging and fast-developing eCommerce regions, where online adoption is accelerating and competition is often less entrenched than in the UK, Western Europe or the US.
For UK retailers operating in a mature home market, this signals a clear shift: future eCommerce growth will increasingly come from international customers.
Shipping Experience Determines Conversion
While international demand exists, conversion is fragile. Delivery is one of the biggest make-or-break factors in cross-border eCommerce.
Research consistently shows that shipping costs are the number one barrier to international conversion, with over 40% of shoppers abandoning baskets due to high or unexpected delivery fees, duties or taxes (Marketing LTB).
In addition, around 71% of international shoppers expect to see delivery options at checkout, including speed, cost and tracking visibility. Transparency matters more than absolute speed, especially when buying cross-border.
For UK retailers, this reframes international shipping as a revenue driver, not just an operational cost.
Returns and Duties Are the Hidden Risks
International returns remain one of the most underestimated challenges in cross-border eCommerce. In some categories, particularly fashion, up to 30% of international orders are returned, creating cost and complexity if not managed locally or regionally (Cross-Border Magazine).
Customs also present a significant risk. Around one in five cross-border delivery failures are linked to duties, taxes or customs clearance issues, often caused by unclear responsibility or poor data (Cross-Border Magazine).
Retailers that don’t address these friction points risk margin erosion and damaged customer trust.
From Opportunity to Execution
For UK eCommerce retailers, the question is no longer whether to expand internationally, but where to grow and how to do it profitably.
Winning in new global markets requires more than demand. It requires the right delivery strategy, carrier mix, customs approach and operational support/partnership to turn international interest into sustainable revenue.
These challenges, and the opportunities behind them, are at the heart of Internet Retailing’s upcoming session, Where’s Left to Grow? How Retailers Can Win in New Global Markets. The event explores where international demand is strongest, how retailers can reduce delivery friction and what it takes to scale cross-border eCommerce without eroding margins.
👉 Find out more and register here