British retailers are increasingly reliant on overseas trade, primarily with other EU nations, to secure sales growth and continued prosperity. This is according to the British Retail Consortium, which published figures showing the number of visitors that UK e-commerce sites receive from other countries.

In the BRC’s latest report, which was conducted with the assistance of search giant Google, it was revealed that the Czech Republic has seen the biggest rise in searches made by consumers for UK-based retailers in the past year.

BRC spokesperson, Helen Dickinson, said that retailers in the UK which offer safe shopping online to international audiences were now turning to the EU in order to perpetuate growth.

She also said that more and more continental shoppers were choosing to visit their favourite e-commerce sites from their smartphones, searching for retail outlets headquartered in the UK whilst on the move, rather than relying on desktop computers.

Google representative, Martijn Bertisen, said that there was a lot of eagerness among European consumers to search for and engage with retail brands originating in the UK. He said that health and beauty outlets are particularly capable of gaining attention on the continent, according to City AM.

The vote to remain within or exit the EU, set to take place on the 23rd of June this year, will have a dramatic impact on the UK, with retailers likely to face a significant reshuffle if the majority of people select the latter option.

The UK has one of the world’s most advanced and mature markets for safe shopping online, leading Europe in terms of sales and thus playing host to innovative new e-commerce services. And yet the BRC report indicates that its relationship with the EU should not be overlooked in the coming weeks.