A couple of months ago, we created the eCommerce 100, our ranking of the top 100 online brands in the country, based on factors such as search volume and social following.
However, a lot has changed in the world in that short time, with the coronavirus outbreak drastically changing our shopping habits and driving more people than ever before to shop online.
With that in mind, we’ve now analysed the top 500 eCommerce brands in the UK, to see how the pandemic has affected search interest in the seven weeks since lockdown began to see which brands have gained interest and which have seen a fall in searches.
Brands with the Biggest Search Increase
| Brand | Search Increase | Sector |
| B&Q | 200% | Home Improvement |
| Wickes | 163% | Home Improvement |
| Laithwaite’s | 151% | Wine |
| Virgin Wines | 147% | Wine |
| Homebase | 145% | Home Improvement |
| Evans Cycles | 145% | Sports Equipment |
| JTF Mega Discount Warehouse | 136% | Discount Store |
| Iceland | 129% | Supermarket |
| Naked Wines | 129% | Wine |
| Morrisons | 126% | Supermarket |
| Romwe | 126% | Fashion |
| The Range | 120% | Homeware/Furniture |
| Wyevale Garden Centres | 117% | Garden Centre |
| Mole Valley Farmers | 111% | Building/Farming Supplies |
| BonPrix | 104% | Fashion |
| Boux Avenue | 102% | Lingerie |
| Jewson | 102% | Building/Farming Supplies |
| Nintendo | 100% | Consumer Electronics |
| Cult Beauty | 97% | Beauty |
| LaptopsDirect | 94% | Consumer Electronics |
DIY and hardware stores were among those deemed to be ‘essential’ when the government implemented its lockdown measures on March 23rd, with many using the time stuck at home to carry out those home improvements that they’ve been putting off.
The top two brands to see the biggest increases in searches were both home improvement stores, with searches for B&Q tripling since lockdown began, especially since they reopened their stores on April 23rd, followed by Wickes, with an increase of 163%.
And with pubs and bars shut for the foreseeable future, another sector which has seen huge increases is alcohol, with Laithwaite’s and Virgin Wines both seeing search increases of over 140%.
Brands with the Biggest Search Decrease
| Brand | Search Increase | Sector |
| Slaters | -81% | Fashion |
| TK Maxx | -76% | Department Store |
| Moss Bros. | -76% | Fashion |
| See Tickets | -69% | Tickets |
| Max Spielmann | -66% | Photo Printing |
| Phase Eight | -64% | Fashion |
| Snow+Rock | -62% | Outdoor Clothing/Equipment |
| Tripp | -62% | Luggage |
| Calendar Club | -59% | Calendars |
| Ellis Brigham | -59% | Outdoor Clothing/Equipment |
| size? | -58% | Fashion |
| The White Company | -58% | Fashion |
| Warren James | -57% | Jewellery |
| Burton Snowboards | -57% | Sports Equipment |
| ScS | -55% | Homeware/Furniture |
| F.Hinds | -55% | Jewellery |
| Furniture Village | -54% | Homeware/Furniture |
| Burton Menswear | -54% | Fashion |
| Bathstore | -53% | Appliances |
| The Edinburgh Woollen Mill | -52% | Fashion |
While some of the hardest hit brands were those in fashion, the picture varies a lot across the sector. For example, those specialising in formal clothing such as Slaters and Moss Bros. have seen decreases of up to 81%, but many others have actually seen searches increase, with shoppers looking for items such as comfy loungewear for their time during lockdown.
Other brands to see a large decrease include TK Maxx (76%) which shut its online store on March 26th (which has since reopened), See Tickets (69%) and Phase Eight (64%).
Sectors with the Biggest Search Increase
| Sector | Average Search Change |
| Alcohol | 129% |
| Garden Centre | 103% |
| Building/Farming Supplies | 80% |
| Supermarket | 73% |
| Home Improvement | 55% |
| Vaporizers | 53% |
| Discount Store | 50% |
| Pharmacy | 43% |
| Pet Supplies | 36% |
| Sportswear | 36% |
| Food/Nutrition | 28% |
| Beauty | 23% |
| Sports Equipment | 23% |
| Tools | 23% |
| Video Games | 20% |
| Lingerie | 19% |
| Marketplace | 19% |
| Software | 18% |
| Coffee | 18% |
| Gifts | 16% |
With pubs and bars shut down across the country, online sales of alcohol have been booming, with searches for wine delivery services more than doubling (129%) in the last couple of months.
Another sector which has seen searches double is garden centres, which were among the first non-essential businesses to reopen their doors, with searches for building and farming supplies also on the rise by 80% as many in these trades continued to work.
The first few days of the outbreak saw lots of stockpiling of groceries and other essentials, with searches for supermarkets jumping by 73%, including traditional stores such as Morrisons and Iceland, but also online alternatives such as Ocado.
Sectors with the Biggest Search Decrease
| Sector | Average Search Change |
| Tickets | -69% |
| Luggage | -62% |
| Calendars | -59% |
| Shoe Repairs | -49% |
| Catering Supplies | -45% |
| Party Store | -42% |
| Safety Equipment | -35% |
| Accessories | -33% |
| Jewellery | -31% |
| Watches | -30% |
| Outdoor Clothing/Equipment | -29% |
| Appliances | -25% |
| Fragrances | -23% |
| Coins | -19% |
| Glasses | -17% |
| Photo Printing | -14% |
| Fashion | -8% |
| Books | -6% |
| Footwear | -5% |
| Department Store | 1% |
However, the lockdown has had a devastating effect for many industries too. For example, with live music and sporting events and holidays abroad not expected to return for some time, searches for ticketing sites such as See Tickets and luggage retailers such as Tripp have declined by 69% and 62% respectively.
Other industries to take a hit include jewellery (a 31% decrease) and outdoor clothing and equipment suppliers such as Mountain Warehouse and Craghoppers.
