Quarterly Intelligence · Issue 003

UK Ecommerce
Pulse Report

The eight trends that defined Q3 for UK online sellers, what each one means for peak and Q4, and how last quarter's calls held up. Free when you join Beyond the Basket.

Q3 2026July to September 2026

Collage of a hand holding a pen, a rising sales chart and a heartbeat line

What's inside

Eight trends worth watching into Q4.

01
AI becomes a sales channelWhere are AI shoppers coming from, and do they actually buy?
02
Europe's compliance wallWhat's changing in November and December, and is the EU still worth selling to?
03
The algorithms take the wheelAd costs are up and the controls are disappearing. What can you still steer?
04
Platforms tighten the screwsWhich fees went up this quarter, and how much could they be costing you?
05
Trust under pressureHow big is the UK's refund abuse problem, and how do you protect your shop?
06
Live shopping goes mainstreamWhich big names just arrived on TikTok Shop, and what does it mean for smaller sellers?
07
Resale consolidatesWho's winning resale, and what does that mean for your fees?
08
Whiplash data heading into peakIs Q4 shaping up well or badly? The data says both.

Your moveA practical next step for every trend, written for UK sellers on any platform.

Q2 scorecardWe go back over last quarter's seven calls and show how each one played out.

The newsletter

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Beyond the Basket is a free email newsletter for UK ecommerce sellers. It lands every Tuesday and Friday with the platform updates, fee changes, new rules and shopping trends that affect how you sell, plus a straight view on what to do about each one.

Smart. Skimmable. Written for UK sellers, not translated for them.

It's written by Mike, who has been running his own online shops since 2016, so it's aimed at people doing the work, whether you sell on your own site, on marketplaces, or both.

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Every story, the same three parts

TLDRWhat happened, in a sentence or two.

Why it mattersWhat it means for UK sellers, without the jargon.

Your moveOne practical thing you can do about it.

Also in most issues

The Pulse: a quick reader poll, with the results and what we make of them.
On The Radar: the events, deadlines and marketing dates coming up.
The Reading List: longer reads for the weekend, every Friday.
The Pulse Report: our quarterly trends report, free to every subscriber.

UK EcommercePulse Report

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Eight trends worth watching into Q4.

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UK Ecommerce
Pulse Report