London, January 2026 — International buyers are now driving the majority of UK online orders. Analysis of more than 3 million UK transactions by affiliate marketing platform Admitad, and marketplace data from global gifting marketplace Flowwow, shows that in 2025, 75% of all orders processed by UK sellers in the gifting segment came from overseas customers.
This shift is reshaping the UK e-commerce calendar. Sales are increasingly driven by occasions such as Ramadan, Eid, Diwali and Lunar New Year, creating year-round peaks beyond the traditional Christmas-Valentine’s-Black Friday cycle. UK online commerce grew 8% in orders and 13% in value.
According to Flowwow, in 2025, the UAE accounted for 26% of all international destinations for UK online sellers, more than any single domestic UK region, followed by Spain, Kazakhstan, Turkey and Georgia. UK sellers received the most orders from the UAE (13.2%), USA (7.1%), Germany (3.0%) and France (2.7%) in 2025.
“E-commerce is increasingly shaped by a wider range of global occasions,” said Slava Bogdan, CEO and co-founder of Flowwow. “Retailers who genuinely understand their customers and adapt platforms, logistics, and product offerings to evolving multicultural patterns will capture growth opportunities. Attempts at symbolic inclusivity without real engagement risk alienating the audience instead of building trust.”
Spring months saw strong growth in online activity. March emerged as the second-strongest month, with average order value (AOV) up 46% YoY, reflecting Mother’s Day and overlapping Ramadan and spring festivals. September and October recorded above-average growth (+148% YoY), linked to Diwali and pre-holiday shopping, while November remained the strongest month due to Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
“We expect UK e-commerce to continue growing in 2026, though at a slightly slower pace, with orders up 5-7% and GMV up 10-11%,” commented Anna Gidirim, CEO of Admitad. “Fashion, Home & Garden, and Electronics are the most popular categories, showing where retailers can focus to meet growing consumer demand.”
Looking ahead to 2026, year-round cultural holidays will shape purchasing behaviour. UK e-commerce is moving from a Q4-centric model to a year-round, globally driven sales cycle. With international buyers already accounting for 75% of UK online gifting orders, the ability to support cross-border commerce at scale is becoming a key competitive advantage for retailers in 2026 and beyond.
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