Global and UK eCommerce order volumes rose in the first quarter (Q1) of 2025, with gifting, homewares and pet purchases among the strongest performing categories, according to data from delivery management and post-purchase experience provider, Scurri.
Data from Scurri’s platform showed that in Q1 the volume of shipments with the UK as final destination climbed +5 per cent year-on-year, with key gifting days, including Valentine’s and Mother’s Day, driving up performance.
Among the top performing categories across all shipments in Q1 were gifting, which rose +39 per cent compared to 2024, followed by homewares and cosmetics. Having experienced a challenging 2024, online order volumes for homewares saw a welcome rise, up +34 per cent year-on-year in Q1.
Meanwhile, the online ‘beauty boom’ continued, with Scurri’s data showing shipments of cosmetics up +17 per cent year-on-year in the first three months of 2025, building on top of a +7.3per cent sales increase across the Health & Beauty category in 2024, which was driven by online sales and social commerce, according to NielsenIQ (NIQ) data.
“The growth we see in particular categories, such as gifting and beauty, shows the continued impact of key peak trading events, such as Valentine’s and Mother’s Day, on overall online performance,” Rory O’Connor, Founder and CEO of Scurri, commented.
Globally, online order volumes rose +19 per cent year-on-year in Q1. The markets reporting the highest Q1 shipment volume increases included some of the world’s largest eCommerce markets, including Germany (+45 per cent), alongside Poland (+24 per cent) and Ireland (+18 per cent) – indicative of a shifting landscape as demand increases in growth markets. In 2024, 96 per cent of Irish consumers made eCommerce purchases, making it the highest indexing market for online shopping in Europe, while eMarketer ranks Poland as the 19th global eCommerce market with a projected revenue of approximately US$30.99 billion.
“The increase in shipments to Ireland from the UK is indicative that brands looking to diversify, recognise its closest neighbour is an expanding eCommerce market, with trading being facilitated by an ecosystem of partners committed to overcoming the post-Brexit complexities of moving goods into Ireland,” O’Connor added.
The need for speed, even at additional cost, remained entrenched with ecommerce shoppers in Q1, Scurri’s data showed. Express ‘sign on delivery’ services had the highest growth in last-mile delivery options in Q1, increasing +35 per cent YOY. This is indicative of growing retailer and consumer concerns around package fraud and parcel theft. Meanwhile, next-day delivery volumes increased +33 per cent in the quarter compared to 2024.
“We continue to see a strong demographic split when it comes to delivery speed vs spend. Two-thirds (65 per cent) of 18-24-year-olds say they are happy to pay for premium delivery services, but the cost of home delivery is a key cart abandonment trigger for nearly half (44 per cent) of shoppers aged 55-64. The outtake is that brands need to prioritise offering personalised and customer-centric delivery experiences that enhance satisfaction and build trust to ultimately fuel long-term success,” O’Connor concluded.
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