There’s often a perception that markets in Asia developed digital offerings far faster than the US and Europe—that’s only partially true in retail.
Looking at when each market hit 10% of retail sales—a gauge for ecommerce going mainstream—two cohorts emerge:
The UK, China, and South Korea led in global ecommerce penetration for 10 years
The UK—not China—was the first to shoot past the 10% milestone in 2012. The early shift to online grocery helped establish the UK as the digital leader in Europe. Even today, there’s a significant gap between the digital penetration in the UK and other countries across the region.