Understanding eCommerce conversion rates is essential for businesses looking to benchmark their performance and identify areas for improvement. While the overall UK eCommerce conversion rate stands at 3.4% (Sources: VWO, Shopify), industry-specific benchmarks vary widely due to factors such as purchase intent, product type, and price sensitivity.

Industry-specific conversion rate benchmarks.

The list below provides a breakdown of UK eCommerce conversion rates by industry, highlighting how different sectors perform:

  • Grocery: 11.1%

  • Tools & Construction Supplies: 8.4%

  • Household Care: 8.2%

  • Flowers & Gifts: 7.9%

  • Furniture: 7.1%

  • Fashion: 5.2%

  • Arts & Crafts: 3.8%

  • Health & Wellbeing: 1.8% - 4.2%

  • Kitchen & Home Appliances: 1.7% - 3%

  • Pet Care: 2% - 2.5%

  • Home Accessories & Giftware: 1.5% - 2.3%

  • Food & Drink: 1% - 2%

  • Sports & Recreation: 1% - 1.6%

  • Baby & Child: 0.8% - 1.4%

  • Agriculture: 0.6% - 1.4%

Understanding the differences.

We’ve based these conversion rate benchmarks on industry-specific research from sources such as Dynamic Yield, eCommerceDB, Salesfire, and SpeedCommerce.

The wide range in conversion rates can be attributed to several factors:

  • Purchase frequency and need sectors like grocery (11.1%) and household care (8.2%) have higher conversion rates because they involve everyday essential purchases, meaning customers are more likely to complete transactions frequently.

  • Consideration periods for significant purchases such as furniture (7.1%) and kitchen and home appliances (1.72 - 3%) often have lower conversion rates as these products require research, they’ll have high price points, and therefore longer decision-making times come into play.

  • Impulsive purchases versus considered like flowers and gifts (7.9%) and fashion (5.17%) benefit hugely from seasonal and impulse-driven shopping habits, while industries such as agriculture (0.62 - 1.41%) see lower conversion rates due to niche demand and similar to furniture and home high price points influence purchase decisions.

  • Product complexity and trust or belief in the proposition play a part in all, but it becomes more apparent in health and wellbeing (1.87 - 4.20%) and sports and recreation (1.18 - 1.62%), where conversions can vary based on consumer trust, brand credibility and the need for additional research before purchasing.

Learn more about external factors that affect eCommerce conversion rates.

How do you compare?

It's important for us to remember other factors that affect conversion to use these benchmarks as a guide whilst also focusing on factors such as traffic quality, website experience, and customer intent in our targeting. If your eCommerce store is underperforming compared to industry averages, consider the following:

  • Optimising User Experience. Start by simplifying navigation, nailing your product proposition and ensuring a seamless checkout process.

  • Personalisation and Targeting. We’re overwhelmed with behavioural data, so we use it to develop insight to offer personalised recommendations and targeted promotions.

  • A/B Testing and Conversion Rate Optimisation (CRO) Strategy. Experiment with your users, elevating calls-to-action, improving page layouts, and perhaps even pricing structures to identify what resonates with your audience.

Final thoughts.

It's important to note that these conversion rates can vary depending on the source and specific time period. Individual sectors may perform above or below this benchmark due to industry trends, seasonality, and shifts in consumer behaviour.

While the UK eCommerce conversion rate average is 3.4%, it’s important to measure success relative to your industry and target audience. Understanding where your business sits within these benchmarks can help you create realistic goals and prioritise key improvements that help you grow.

If you’re looking to improve your eCommerce conversion rates or just want improved visibility of your customer behaviour, our expert team at blubolt can help! Browse our CRO eCommerce services, find inspiration from our work, and get in touch to discuss your requirements today.

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