Additionally, 37% of UK firms are looking to grow their ecommerce offerings in the US, with 33% and 30% targeting the Chinese and Indian markets respectively, according to a new report commissioned by business process outsourcing provider (BPO) arvato and World Business Research (WBR), retailgazette.co.uk reports.
In addition, 24% are planning to expand their business into Europe, with a third of the companies researched already having an online presence on the continent. UK firms in fashion and beauty ecommerce are set to be the most active in the US, China and India, with 42% and 40%, respectively, planning for expansion in these markets.
However, more than one in three companies across both sectors have undefined timescales for growth, with 15% looking to implement their strategies over the near future. In comparison, 24% of businesses in luxury and fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) plan to develop an offering in the US, China and India, with 7% looking to expand over the next couple of years.
Outsourcing is a popular strategy for firms handling ecommerce, with 47% using an external provider to deliver one or more functions, online marketing, logistics and fulfilment. Likewise, website operation and development are the most popular functions for businesses to source outside the firm.
A high proportion of those in fashion (57%) are using an outsourcer, with 37% contracting out their website development, which is more than double that of the other three industries researched. However, while only 24% of those in the luxury sector have an outsourcing partner, over a third engage an external supplier to deliver their online marketing. Over half of firms considering external providers plan to use them in their operations on the continent, with the main focus on customer care and forward and reverse logistics. This is in contrast to 14% in the US and 29% across APAC.
The research surveyed 93 UK ecommerce CEOs, managers and executives working in the beauty, fashion, FMCG and luxury sectors.
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