July 2025 delivered a welcome boost to UK e-commerce, with online spending soaring to £10.7 billion, up 7.2% year-on-year and a 17.6% rise on June’s £9.1 billion, according to Adobe Digital Insights powered by Adobe Analytics. Year-to-date online sales now stand at £62.1 billion, a 2.6% increase over the same period in 2024.
Prime Day Fuelled Record Spending
The four-day Prime Day event (8–11 July) accounted for £2.08 billion of July’s total—an 11.1% increase over last year’s two-day event plus the subsequent two days. Average prices during Prime Day were 14% below normal levels, with apparel and televisions seeing the deepest discounts at 18% off. Day 1 of Prime Day (8 July) set a new daily record with £676.5 million spent.
Strong category performers included:
- Smart home items: +98% vs. normal levels
- Computers: +82%
- Kids apparel: +76%
- Baby toys: +72%
- Personal care appliances: +58%
Lionesses’ Run Spurs Shirt Sales
England shirt sales skyrocketed following the Lionesses’ tournament victories:
- Semi-final win vs. Italy: +750% vs. 30-day average
- Final: +325% vs. 30-day average
This spike exceeded even the 2023 Women’s World Cup semi-final uplift by 6%, underscoring the impact of cultural moments on consumer behaviour.
Prices Continue to Decline
Overall online prices fell 2.9% month-on-month and 11.9% year-on-year, with non-essential categories seeing the largest drops:
- Apparel: –4.4% MoM
- Electronics: –3.7% MoM
- Home & garden: –2.4% MoM
- Sporting goods: –2.6% MoM
AI-Driven Referrals on the Rise
Consumers increasingly turn to AI tools when shopping online. Referrals from AI sources jumped 4% in July versus June and have grown 1,200% since August 2024.
“Major sales moments like Prime Day and Cyber Weekend always drive significant levels of spending as price-conscious shoppers take advantage of the time-limited big discounts on offer,” said Vivek Pandya, Lead Analyst at Adobe. “After a difficult few months, UK retailers will be hoping that July’s figures are the start of a strong second half and the return of a more confident consumer.”
Key Figures – July 2025
- Total online spending: £10.7 bn (+7.2% YoY)
- YTD online spending (Jan–Jul): £62.1 bn (+2.6% YoY)
- Prime Day spend (8–11 July): £2.08 bn (+11.1% YoY)
- Day 1 Prime Day (8 July): £676.5 m (YTD record)
- Price change MoM: –2.9%
- Price change YoY: –11.9%
- Lionesses’ semi-final shirt sales spike: +750%
- Lionesses’ final shirt sales spike: +325%
- AI referrals growth since August 2024: +1,200%
