Trend Expansion of e-commerce and digital government

Summary

In the short term, the report expects technological progress, changing consumer habits and evolving regulation to work together to widen online retail and push forward digital public services. The digital shift is already clear, with online sales accounting for 26.6% of UK retail sales in May 2022. The report argues that agile regulation can support innovation and let digital platforms stimulate economic activity through e-commerce and technology jobs. Dealing effectively with cyber attacks, identity theft, misinformation, disinformation and service outages could make the UK a global leader and draw investment and growth into its technology sector. It also warns, however, that people who struggle to use digital platforms risk being cut off from important services.