Search begins to find the UK’s fastest growing online retailers

One of the world’s leading Digital Operations Platforms has launched its search for the inaugural ‘Lightning 50’, a league table of the UK’s fastest growing e-commerce businesses of the last 12 months. The list has been launched to celebrate the fastest-growing UK retailers following findings from internal research that two thirds (65%) of Brits plan to shop online more, with one fifth (20%) stating that they will only shop online in the next five years. In its inaugural year, the platform, who work with brands such as Puma and Shopify, is inviting businesses who have seen huge growth since the emergence of the pandemic to register to be in for a chance of inclusion. Despite increased footfall since the return of stores this past week, 67% of Brits are planning to make less visits to the High Street over the next year as they become comfortable shopping online. The boom in online shopping during the coronavirus pandemic has been a ray of hope for the retail sector, and research from IMRG reveals online retail sales grew by 36% in 2020, the highest annual growth since 2007*. A search is now underway to recognise those UK e-commerce businesses that have thrived during the last year. Entries are now open for the first ever ‘Lightning 50’, a definitive list of the fastest growing e-commerce companies in the UK. Digital Operation Platform, Brightpearl, which provides digital operations solutions for some of the world’s biggest retail brands, is launching the search to celebrate UK e-tailers which have grown the most during the coronavirus pandemic. Businesses can enter for the chance to be included in the final list here: Lightning 50 - Brightpearl Entries close on Friday 16th July 2021. Online retailers have been seeing year-on-year sales increases of upwards of 600%, according to research from Brightpearl. A poll the company conducted also reveals that two thirds (65%) of shoppers are planning to increase their online shopping spend in 2021 over 2020, and one fifth (20%) will only shop online within the next five years. Furthermore, 45% of consumers are now buying things online that they only previously bought in-store, and two fifths (40%) of buyers are less likely to shop in-store than they were before the pandemic, according to the same consumer study. Brightpearl is now seeking to reveal the definitive league table of the fastest growing online retailers. It’s free for businesses to enter, and open to e-commerce businesses with annual turnovers from £1M-£250M. “There has been a big shift to online post-Covid, and with Brits stuck at home for most of the last year, online deliveries have been one of the rare highlights of our stay at home life”, said Brightpearl CEO Derek O’Carroll. “Our own data shows many multichannel retailers reporting incredible growth rates - and we decided it was time to celebrate the nation's fastest e-commerce growers over the past 12 months. “The Lightning 50 only takes into account one metric when scoring businesses - growth. Our hope is that the Lightning 50 will really shine a light on some of the incredible work online businesses have been doing throughout the pandemic.” Bristol-based Brightpearl works with thousands of retailers introducing software that puts orders, inventory, financials, POS (point of sale) and CRM (customer relationship management) in one place.

Search begins to find the UK’s fastest growing online retailers

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