Amazon Tops UK Online Retailer List

Amazon’s UK arm is the most popular online retailer in Britain, according to a new survey.

So which are the most popular online retailers in the UK? Every quarter sees the publication of the IMRG-Hitwise Hot Shops List, showing the 50 most used onlineretailers.   Once again, to the surprise of absolutely no one, it’s Amazon’s UK arm that’s top of the pops. In fact, there’s beenvery little movement in the top ten at all. Argos and Tesco come second and third (in a change of places), with both beingretailers of many goods (think Target – in Tesco’s case, Target plus food). Many of the remaining sites involve different facets of that otheroverriding British passion, the vacation. In fact, travel companies take up 18 of the 50 places.   UK online sales were worth $8 billion in July alone.   "The stability of retailers’positions on the list is extraordinary, and tells me two things: these market leaders are satisfying their customers pretty well, and competitors are having little or no effect on theirprogress," said IMRG’s chief executive James Roper.   Amazon scores twice, with both its UK and US arms in the top ten. eBay is notable by its absence, purely because IMRG doesn’tconsider auction houses.