From High Street to Home Screen, UK Consumers’ Mobile Shift Accelerates

While the trend toward mobile-first shopping is global, the U.K. presents a unique dynamic: consumers are actively using mobile for purchases and engagement, yet the country ranks last among eight surveyed nations in overall digital shopping engagement.

This presents both challenges and significant opportunities for financial services professionals supporting merchants and for merchants themselves. The 2025 Global Digital Shopping Index: U.K. edition, commissioned by Visa Acceptance Solutions and produced by PYMNTS Intelligence, sheds light on what merchants must do to deliver the mobile-first experience shoppers want.

According to the report, which surveyed 2,826 consumers and 519 merchants in the U.K. between Oct. 17 and Dec. 9, mobile devices are central to the consumer journey.

Mobile is Making Inroads

Nearly half (49%) of U.K. shoppers made their latest retail purchase using a mobile device, slightly above the global average. For online purchases specifically, this figure rises to 66%, double the rate of those using traditional computers.

Furthermore, mobile devices are not limited to online transactions; 38% of U.K. in-store shoppers used a phone as part of their latest physical purchase, indicating mobile’s growing role in enhancing or supporting the brick-and-mortar experience.

Consumers are increasingly using their phones not just for buying but also for “window shopping,” and mobile screens are becoming the primary interface that influences even physical store visits.

As for the “lagging” effect: The report’s “digital shopping days” metric, which measures engagement across seven digital browsing and purchasing activities online and in-store, shows U.K. shoppers engaging in 28 mobile digital shopping days per month, below the eight-country average of 34.

Their total digital shopping days (including computer use) average 42.0, compared to the global average of 50.9. This relative position might be influenced by factors like U.K. consumers’ caution regarding spending amid inflation and the U.K. historically being a “PC-first” economy compared to others, where smartphones represented a “leapfrog” technology. However, the fundamental trend toward mobile is undeniable.

What Merchants Must Do

For U.K. merchants and the financial institutions supporting them, success in this environment hinges on focusing on key areas that address consumer expectations and overcome current friction points.

A seamless experience is critical.  Most U.K. merchants (61%) offer cross-channel shopping capabilities, ranking third globally. However, only 13% of U.K. shoppers reported using these features with the merchant they last purchased from — the lowest rate surveyed.

Unified shopping allows consumers consistent access to digital features like rewards, order history and stored payments across all platforms and channels, online or in-store. This represents a significant opportunity, as investment in unified shopping would allow merchants to stand out.

Merchants face numerous obstacles in delivering cross-channel experiences, with 98% reporting at least one challenge, including data management, customer service and customer engagement. Overcoming these challenges is crucial.

U.K. shoppers show a strong preference for using stored payment credentials for digital purchases, with 58% using them for their most recent online transaction. A majority of these (50%) used credentials stored directly with the merchant. This is excellent news, as stored credentials can drive repeat purchases and reduce checkout friction. However, merchants are missing a key opportunity here, as only 34% of U.K. shoppers regularly store payment credentials with online merchants.

To increase adoption, merchants must focus on factors consumers cited as increasing their willingness to store credentials: speed (62%), ease/convenience (57%) and trust (36%).