The UK social commerce market is expected to hit £11.75 billion by 2026, and yet most British businesses still funnel everything through one marketplace. That single-platform approach leaves money on the table — and exposes you to algorithm changes, fee hikes, and policy shifts you can’t control. Diversifying onto alternative platforms isn’t just a backup plan. It’s how you capture the growing share of online retail that happens outside the big three marketplaces.
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This article is general information only and does not constitute professional advice. For your specific situation, consult a qualified professional.
Those numbers explain why the debate isn’t really about whether you should sell online. It’s about where. Amazon alone pulled in £37.85 billion in UK revenue in 2024, but its fee structure — £25 a month for a Professional account plus 7–15% referral fees — eats into margins that could be healthier elsewhere. Meanwhile, platforms like eBay, OnBuy, Shopify, and WooCommerce each serve different product types, customer bases, and operating models. The trick is matching the platform to your actual business constraints, not the platform with the biggest ad budget.
Here’s what you actually need to know.
Key Takeaways About Multi-Channel E-commerce
The term you’ll hear a lot in this space is multi-channel commerce.
What I tend to notice is that businesses that start with one platform get comfortable. The renewal comes around, the fees have crept up, and by then it feels like too much hassle to move. That’s exactly when you should at least be looking at how a thriving online shop operates across multiple channels, not just one.
What You Stand to Lose by Sticking to One Platform
Over-reliance on a single marketplace creates three specific risks. The first is margin compression. Amazon’s Professional subscription costs £25 a month, and referral fees run between 7% and 15% depending on the category. For a product selling at £30 with a 40% margin, that 15% fee eats over a third of your gross profit before you even account for FBA storage and shipping. OnBuy, by contrast, charges 5–9% category commission plus a flat 2% payment processing fee, with no listing fees and no mandatory subscription. That difference stacks up fast at volume.
The second risk is policy dependency. A single platform can change its return policy, its advertising cost structure, or its algorithm at any point. Sellers who saw their Amazon rankings drop after the 2023 search algorithm update didn’t have a fallback. Multi-channel sellers absorbed the hit because their Shopify store or eBay listings still pulled traffic.
The third risk is customer data. On marketplaces like Amazon, you don’t own the customer relationship. You can’t email them, retarget them, or build loyalty. On your own platform — Shopify, WooCommerce, or even a basic Squarespace storefront — you hold the data and control the experience.
Common Platform Selection Mistakes UK Businesses Make
Only selling on Amazon because it has the most traffic
Amazon’s 400 million monthly visitors is a tempting number. But traffic doesn’t equal profit. High-competition categories on Amazon push up advertising costs, and the platform’s A9 algorithm favours price and speed over brand story. Products that need explanation, customisation, or visual storytelling often perform better on a dedicated storefront. A Shopify store with a £39 basic plan and a well-structured product page can convert at higher rates for considered purchases than an Amazon listing buried under sponsored ads. The mistake is confusing audience size with audience quality.
Ignoring total cost of ownership when choosing a platform
WooCommerce is free to install. Shopify starts at £39 a month. On paper, WooCommerce looks cheaper. But the real cost includes hosting, security, plugin licences, and developer time. A WooCommerce store with a handful of paid plugins, a security certificate, and managed hosting can easily run £80–150 a month — and you’re responsible for updates and performance tuning. Shopify’s monthly fee covers hosting, security, and updates, but you’ll need third-party apps for many features. The mistake is comparing subscription fees alone without factoring in the hidden costs of each platform’s model.
Not matching the platform to your product type
Selling handmade crafts, B2B office supplies, and subscription boxes all demand different platform features. A marketplace like eBay works well for one-off auctions and unique items. OnBuy suits categories where Amazon’s strict policies cause friction. Shopify handles recurring subscriptions and bundles natively with the right app. WooCommerce gives total control for content-heavy brands that need a blog-and-store hybrid. The mistake is picking a platform based on brand recognition rather than whether it handles your catalogue complexity, pricing rules, and customer workflows.
Underestimating integration requirements
Platforms don’t operate in isolation. If you’re already using an ERP, a warehouse management system, or a CRM, the new platform needs to talk to them. Shopify has a strong app ecosystem for this. WooCommerce relies on plugins that can conflict with each other. A platform that looks simple on day one can become a data-syncing nightmare by month six if you haven’t mapped out the integration points first.
How to Choose and Set Up the Right Platform Mix
Map your business constraints before you compare features
Before you look at any platform, write down six things: your product catalogue size, the number of variants per product, whether you sell B2B or only DTC, your target markets (UK-only or EU/US), your team’s technical ability, and your monthly sales volume. A business with 50 SKUs and no developers is a different candidate than one with 10,000 SKUs and an in-house coder. The platform that fits the second business — something like Adobe Commerce — is overkill for the first. The guide to building a first online store covers the basics of what you need to ask yourself before you commit to a platform.
Compare the real costs across platforms side by side
→ Scroll right to see all columns
| Platform | Monthly cost | Transaction fees | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon UK | £25 (Professional) | 7–15% referral | High-volume, fast-moving consumer goods |
| eBay UK | Free (1,000 listings) | Insertion fees beyond free allowance | Unique items, auctions, used goods |
| OnBuy | None mandatory | 5–9% + 2% processing | Categories where Amazon policies are restrictive |
| Shopify | £39+ | 2.9% + 30p (Shopify Payments) | DTC brands, B2B growth, subscription models |
| WooCommerce | Free (hosting extra) | Payment gateway fees | Content-led brands, WordPress users |
Start with one additional platform and build from there
You don’t need to be on every platform at once. Pick one that fills a gap Amazon doesn’t serve well. If your products are visual and need storytelling, launch a Shopify store with a clean theme and start driving traffic through social media. If you sell collectables or one-off items, eBay’s auction format might unlock a new customer base. If you want a marketplace with no platform self-selling competition, OnBuy’s model levels the playing field. Add the second channel, optimise it for three months, then evaluate whether a third makes sense.
Watch for emerging compliance and platform changes
Cross-border selling is rising, and British consumers are increasingly open to overseas brands. That means UK sellers need to think about landed costs — VAT and duties — especially for EU shipping post-Brexit. Platforms that handle these calculations automatically, like Shopify with its Markets feature, save you from manual errors. On the marketplace side, keep an eye on OnBuy’s expansion plans and eBay’s shifting fee structure. A platform that makes sense today may look different in twelve months when new policies or thresholds kick in.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I run a Shopify store and an Amazon shop at the same time? ▾
Is OnBuy really free to start selling on? ▾
What platform is best for a UK business selling handmade goods? ▾
Do I need to register for VAT on marketplace sales? ▾
How long does it take to set up a WooCommerce store? ▾
What happens to my Amazon seller account if I start selling on other platforms? ▾
Multi-Channel Selling Is the Safer Bet for UK E-commerce
The UK social commerce market is heading toward £11.75 billion by 2026, and that’s just one channel. The broader shift is toward a fragmented online retail landscape where no single platform dominates the way Amazon did a decade ago. Businesses that build a multi-channel presence now — even if it’s just a second platform and a basic social store — will be better positioned when the next algorithm change or fee restructure hits.
Remember: this article is general information only. For advice on your specific situation, speak to a qualified professional.
If this was useful, you might also want to read UK Online Business Boom: Riding the Wave With These Profitable Niches.
Sources and Further Reading
Explore Exciting Subscription Box Ideas for UK Entrepreneurs — A related guide on building a recurring revenue model that works well with a multi-channel platform approach.
StoreBuilt (2025). Best Ecommerce Platforms for UK Businesses. 🔗
Linnworks (2025). Top UK Marketplaces. 🔗
Finder UK (2025). Best Ecommerce Platforms. 🔗
Re-pricer (2025). Best Online Selling Platforms UK. 🔗
