UK Online Shopping Statistics 2026: Why November Is The Biggest Month Online
Key findings: The official Black Friday statistics in the UK come from the ONS retail sales figures for Great Britain. In November 2025, 32.4% of retail sales in Great Britain were made online, up from 28.0% in October. November had the highest online share of the year in 5 of the 7 years since 2019. Online’s yearly share of retail has grown from 4.9% in 2008 to 27.5% in 2025.
Source: Office for National Statistics (ONS), Retail sales, Great Britain, series J4MC (internet sales as a percentage of total retail sales), release of 23 October 2026. ONS retail figures cover Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Analysis by Business Mate.
Black Friday Statistics UK: November Is The Biggest Month For Online Shopping
Every year, the share of shopping done online jumps in November, the month of Black Friday. Here is October compared with November and December for the last 7 years:
| Year | October | November | December |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 19.1% | 21.6% | 21.4% |
| 2020 | 29.0% | 37.2% | 31.3% |
| 2021 | 28.9% | 32.8% | 30.5% |
| 2022 | 25.9% | 29.9% | 27.1% |
| 2023 | 26.7% | 31.3% | 28.1% |
| 2024 | 27.7% | 30.3% | 29.0% |
| 2025 | 28.0% | 32.4% | 29.6% |
November had the highest online share of the whole year in 2019, 2020, 2023, 2024 and 2025. In 2021 and 2022, January was higher. In each of the last 3 years, online’s share rose by between 2.6 and 4.6 percentage points from October to November.
How Online Shopping Has Grown Since 2008
| Year | Online share of retail sales |
|---|---|
| 2008 | 4.9% |
| 2010 | 7.3% |
| 2012 | 9.3% |
| 2014 | 11.3% |
| 2016 | 14.7% |
| 2018 | 18.0% |
| 2019 | 19.2% |
| 2020 | 28.1% |
| 2021 | 30.7% |
| 2022 | 26.6% |
| 2023 | 26.7% |
| 2024 | 27.1% |
| 2025 | 27.5% |
Online’s share more than quintupled between 2008 and 2025. It jumped to 28.1% in 2020 and 30.7% in 2021, during the pandemic, and has stayed above 26% every year since.
The Latest Figures
The latest published month is September 2026, when 28.3% of retail sales were online. The ONS will publish October 2026 figures on 20 November 2026. November 2026, including Black Friday, will follow in December.
What This Means For Your Marketing
- Be easy to find online in November. It is the month when the biggest share of retail spending happens online.
- Email the customers you already have. Your list is an audience you can reach with no ad spend.
- Keep going into December. Online’s share stays above October levels in December too.
- Plan your offer early. See our guides to Black Friday in the UK and Cyber Monday vs Black Friday.
Our View: What We Expect For Black Friday 2026
This section is Business Mate’s opinion based on the official figures above. It is not a forecast of results, and it is not business or financial advice.
If the pattern of the last 3 years repeats, we expect November 2026 to have the highest online share of the year again. We will check this against the official November figures when the ONS publishes them in December.
Use These Statistics
You are welcome to quote these figures and our charts with credit and a link. Suggested citation: Business Mate (2026), UK Online Shopping Statistics 2026, using ONS Retail sales, Great Britain. For more data, see our UK Small Business Marketing Index 2026.
Need Help With Black Friday And Christmas Marketing?
Book a free call or contact us.
FAQs
What percentage of UK shopping is online?
In 2025, 27.5% of retail sales in Great Britain were made online, according to the ONS. The latest month, September 2026, was 28.3%.
Is November the biggest month for online shopping?
In 5 of the 7 years since 2019, November had the highest online share of retail sales in Great Britain. In November 2025 it was 32.4%, up from 28.0% in October.
Where do UK online shopping statistics come from?
The Office for National Statistics publishes internet sales as a percentage of total retail sales every month in its Retail sales, Great Britain release.
