Are these the new UK web winners?
Digital 100 measures biggest increases in web traffic
Some of them might be a surprise but Similarweb has produced its digital 100 list of the brands that have increased their web traffic most based on percentage increases in web traffic from 2022 to 2023.
The report covers five categories: Apparel & Accessories, Beauty & Cosmetics, Home & Garden, Personal Finance and Travel & Tourism with a focus on consumer brands transacting business online.
Apparel & Accessories Winner: Adanola (adanola.com) +338%
Sportswear British brand Adanola tops the list in terms of year-on-year growth in this category, which echoes recent news from Adanola which reported a 311% increase in turnover while its active customer database grew by over 250%. Overall, with five other brands (Goat +138%, Onitsuka Tiger +117%, Represent +70%, KICKS CREW +68%, and Express Trainers +67%) which retail sportswear or streetwear apparel, the athleisure trend – a hybrid of casual and athletic wear – remains popular among UK consumers.
Purpose-led brands with a focus on sustainability also with Vinted, Nobody’s Child, Joanie Clothing and Scamp and Dude reaching respectively +103%, +89%, +83% and +79% year on year traffic growth.
Beauty & Cosmetics Winner: Sephora (sephora.co.uk) +705%
Following its re-entry in the UK market last year with the opening of its Westfield White City store in March and Westfield Stratford in November, Sephora is the clear winner of the Beauty and Cosmetic category with +705% YoY growth in web traffic. Amid the current cost-of-living crisis, the popularity of dupes of higher-end products is getting stronger with The Essence Vault witnessing a 94% increase in terms of year-on-year growth, ranking fourth in the list.
Personal Finance Winner: OKX (okx.com) +209%
The cryptocurrency exchange platform OKX is the winner of this category. Crypto currency online services dominate the list with seven other websites in this field (bitmart.com +161%, kyberswap.com +121%, mexc.com +115%, LemFi gate.io +113%, plutus.it +89% and bingx.com +85%) ranked in the top twenty. Amid the current cost-of-living crisis, UK consumers flocked to short term loan providers like My Finance Club (+207% YoY traffic), or credit card provider Zable (+ 159%) or Buy Now Pay Later services such as DivideBuy (+97%) or Zilch (+67%).
Travel & Tourism Winner: Blue Pillow (bluepillow.co.uk) +182%
Despite the unfavourable economic landscape, UK consumers have continued to seek an escape with the global vacation rental search engine, Blue Pillow ranking first this year. Shoppers have continued to prioritise discounted offers and convenience with low-cost airline Fly Norse ranking second (+146% YoY growth) and tour operator Great Rail (+120%) completing the top three of this list. However, two luxury providers Luxury Escapes (+115%) and Destinology (+70%) reached respectively the fifth and fifteen spots.
Home & Garden Winner: The Wood Veneer Hub (thewoodveneerhub.co.uk) +136%
with the housing market in flux with ever-changing mortgage interest rates, UK homeowners have prioritised home improvement, instead of committing to costly and uncertain moves. The Wood Veneer Hub, which caters to woodworking requirements, tops the list in this category with +136% year-on-year growth.
Similarweb’s Richard Robinson says: “It is clear that the cost of living crisis continues to shape shopping behaviour with a prevalence of discount brands topping the list. The rising trend of cosmetic dupes illustrates well how UK consumers want affordable luxuries to sit alongside the growing popularity in sustainable fashion. But despite financial restraints, consumer confidence is returning and community-centric retailers are benefitting from lifestyle changes (Adanola and YourClothing to name two) which resonate with a diverse Britain.
The report also covers US, France, Germany, India, Japan, Brazil and Australia.