Amazon lead in UK ecommerce is not indomitable, analyst says

While the rapid growth in ecommerce has created a market full of competitors in the U.K., Amazon appears to continue to remain the top choice.

A survey of 3,000 U.K. consumers conducted by Verdict Research found Amazon accounts for approximately 20 percent of all ecommerce transactions. The online shopping site was followed by eBay, which, at 7.6 percent of the market, is still far behind the leader.

However, while Amazon holds a substantial lead, any company with an online payment gateway can challenge it, according to Verdict Research senior retail analyst Matt Piner.

“Online has the potential to offer a more level playing field than the high street, as there is potential for smaller retailers to compete with their larger rivals in a way that they are not able to do with physical stores,” Piner said.

Grocery retailer Tesco, home appliance and furniture distributor Argos and online multimedia store Play.com rounded out the top five ecommerce vendors in the U.K., according to the study.

Overall, ecommerce has been on the rise in the country. According to the MRG Capgemini E-retail Sales Index, online spending rose by 20 percent in the 12-month period ending in April, reaching £5.2 billion in that month alone.