UK’s Top Retailers Face Tough Online Competition From US-Based Sites

The UK’s top retailers are facing tough competition online from U.S.-based sites, with Apple and Google Shopping joining a list already led by American imports Amazon and eBay.

According to eMarketer, February 2017 data from comScore MMX shows Apple and Google Shopping placed fifth and sixth, respectively, among the U.K.’s top 10 retail companies as ranked by unique visitors to their desktop brand sites. The additions displaced U.K. apparel retailer Next and grocery chain operator J Sainsbury (Sainsbury’s) from the top 10 list.

Other U.K. retailers under pressure include department store and grocery operator John Lewis Partnership (John Lewis, Waitrose), which fell one spot to seventh; electronics and mobile phone retailer Dixons Carphone (Carphone Warehouse, Currys PC World), which dropped one position to eighth; and department store and grocery chain Marks & Spencer (M&S), which fell two spots to tenth. And Walmart, owner of grocery chain Asda, slid from fifth to ninth.

The only local retailers to hold their places on the list were Home Retail Group, owner of general merchandise retailer Argos and home décor merchant Habitat, and grocer Tesco, at third and fourth, respectively.

In response to the competition, M&S announced it would begin testing a full-fledged online grocery shopping service this fall. Right now, the retailer only offers party food and gift items online for in-store pickup.