Imagine if you had to leave the comfort of your lovely home every time you wanted to buy something – or even window shop. If that trip down Stone Age Lane has made you shudder, it is because that alternate reality would have taken all of the joy out of shopping. Lucky for you, technology has come a long way since the Flintstones.
Shopping is as easy as it has ever been. Forget the local boutiques, you can shop from anywhere in the world thanks to the internet. Retailers have harnessed the power of this convenience and have ensured that their online presence is just as strong as their physical stores. Who thought you would ever be shopping for clothes online? UK clothing retailers have not been left behind. They have realized that the internet is the new shopping mall.
Sometimes you just want to do the fun part and let other people do the packaging and delivering for you. The fun part, the actual online shopping, has improved over time. Websites load fast and are well-designed. You can be very specific with your shopping thanks to search functionalities and broad categories. What else makes an online shopping website great?
- Intuitive navigation: Browsing through an online clothing store should flow. Going back and forth between the various sections should be smooth and intuitive.
- User-friendliness: No user should visit a site and find it hard to use. Online stores should be user-friendly, making it as straightforward as it is in physical stores.
- Variety: All you desire under one roof – well – site!
- Great shipping: Online shopping makes shipping necessary and a good online store should offer incentives to make the shipping fees worth it, or remove them altogether if a certain condition is met.
- Sales and discounts: A great online shopping website has great deals, secret sales, and flash sales that you would normally not enjoy when shopping physically.
What clothing stores meet these criteria? These are the best online stores to buy clothing from in the UK in 2024.
Debenhams
Debenhams has quite the history. The British multinational retailer has department stores in the United Kingdom and Denmark, with franchise stores in other countries. The company was founded in 1778 as a single store in London and has now grown to 178 locations across those countries.
Debenhams has a great online shop that immediately brings your attention to the best sales and discounts, even by category. Great, right? There is a saved section that lets you collect all the items you are interested in, maybe to buy later. The menu is simple and straightforward with lots of categories, including electricals, beauty, and gifts to complement your clothes shopping.
Debenhams online store has an impressive blend of brands, ranging from in-house designs to international names, so you will never miss something you like, nay, love. The online store has pay-later offerings and a Beauty Club, which is a reward scheme that allows you to collect and spend points across over 200 beauty and fragrance brands at Debenhams, both in-store and online.
Matalan
Matalan is a good low-cost option if you are looking to shop for clothes for the whole family. Anything from lingerie to school uniforms is available. The categorization on its online store is granular, meaning you can find exactly what you are looking for, quickly. Don’t know what to get or what the in-thing is? Worry not, Matalan has your back.
Their What’s Trending page gives the latest tips, tricks, editor picks, and best offers. It is quite useful, helping you learn something about fashion before you start shopping with your newly-found expertise. The search feature is beneficial, letting you search using a keyword or product code – you know, just in case you took a screenshot of an item you liked and need to find it as fast as possible during a flash sale!
John Lewis
John Lewis is one of the most popular stores in the UK. It is owned by the John Lewis Partnership and had its start in pre-war Britain. It is a high-end store with physical locations in every major UK city. Their most significant store, however, is their online store – especially for home shoppers like you.
It is not only a clothing store. Furniture, beauty products, electricals, and sporting equipment can be found on the online store as well. John Lewis is big on seasonal offers, giving great deals on upcoming holidays, like the Christmas deals that are currently ongoing.
My John Lewis is the membership platform that lets you enjoy members-only offers, vouchers, exclusive invitations, and more. They even offer to treat you to £5 off your next beauty purchase in our shops when you recycle five empty beauty products with them. There are mobile apps for iOS and Android that give you app-exclusive treats as well as more membership perks.
New Look
New Look caters to the younger crowd, and no, that is in no way an insinuation that you are old. The website certainly looks the part, with much younger models than you’d see in other online stores and a design that appeals to a young crowd. The landing page gives you insights into the latest deals and latest trends. New Look does you one better with their Get Inspired page – offering style tips, fashion inspiration, celebrity looks and everything else the young fashionistas are loving at that moment. It’s a daily thing, you know because fashion waits for no one. Shopping from this online store will always ensure you have a new look, pun heavily intended.
Prices are relatively low, and there is no shortage of offers on the site. The site itself is simple, clean, and very user-friendly. It is clear to see why it appeals to students.
Next
Next is another great online clothing store in the UK. It has everything for men, women, and children with quite the extensive range of known brands to choose from. The store has seasonal collections that make it easy to shop for the whole family as conveniently as possible.
There is a New In section that lets you know about all the latest additions to their catalogue, categorized by age, gender, or item type. There is also a “Back In Stock” option that lets you find out if that elusive dress that went out of stock before you got it is back and available for purchase.
Next has the nextcredit financing program that gives you two options, nextpay and next 3step, and you get to choose which option suits you best.
Dorothy Perkins
Dorothy Perkins is a medium-price range store that focuses on trendy clothing. If the website does not give you that vibe (which it will), the models and offers surely will. This underrated store has seasonal collections, signature prints, and accessories that your wardrobe just cannot do without.
All sizes are catered for. All styles are catered for. All occasions are catered for. All account balances are catered for. There are New In and Inspire Me sections that alert you of everything new and help you try something new respectively.
Very
Very has an okay website, but has a lot of brands to choose from. Apart from clothing, their site has a large number of product categories. A section in the online store that may interest you is the Clearance section, where you can buy clothes that are going… going… gone!
Financially, Very is very generous with payment options, letting choose between single payments or spreading the cost.
ASOS
Ever shopped at ASOS? No? Then you miss out on one of the best online clothing shopping
experiences in the UK. And no…we’re not bluffing! The ASOS (As Seen on Screen) brand was established at the turn of the 21st century—making them pioneers in the industry.
But despite their longevity in the game, they’ve managed to consistently rank as some of the best shopping destinations for over 2 decades. Part of their secret to survival has to do with their socially conscious approach and low-pricing approach.
ASOS carries one of the widest collections of chic body-positive attires at surprisingly discounted prices.
They have both in-house pieces and carefully curated catalogues from notable brands like Ralph Lauren. It’s where you go when you want playful, bold, bright, and trendy clothes delivered right to your doorstep.
As bonus points to their products, their site is easy to navigate, delivery is super-fast, returns are easy, and they have gift vouchers.
House of Fraser
Who’s in the mood for a shopping spree of high quality, à la mode, and heavily discounted clothes? House of Fraser is one of those online shops that seem to have a constant sale going on. Don’t be surprised when you come across a “20% off everything” (*drool) banner on the homepage.
As a one-stop shop, they house a wide range of clothing for the entire family—including fitness/training wear and beauty accessories to ace that awesome look. Their host of mainstream brands includes Ralph Lauren, Hugo Boss, Valentino Bags, Tommy Hilfiger, Michael Kors, Barbour, and Lacoste to name a few.
And did we mention that House of Fraser is big on gifting? It’s the perfect way to surprise your loved ones with a thoughtful gift that won’t drill a hole in your wallet.
River Island
Looking to add a dash of bourgeois to your wardrobe? You’d be hard-pressed to find a better option than River Island. The high fashion retailer offers clothing products that are reminiscent of catwalk design elements.
River Island offers a wide range of clothing, footwear, and accessories for the entire family. You can literally log in to their site and pick out your look from head to toe. They’re renowned for their unique touches and fashion-forward products.
The site design and ease of navigation are as seamless as you would expect from a luxury retailer. The filtering and categories are simple enough to ensure users find their ideal clothes in as few clicks as possible.
If you love the High Street and style is your forte, visit River Island ASAP!
Marks & Spencer
If you’re in the market for superlative lingerie, womenswear, menswear, and children’s clothing at an affordable price point, there are tons of brands available (see other entries in this list of the best online stores to buy clothing). But if you want to update your closet/wardrobe with items from a brand that you can connect with beyond their sales pitch, look no further than Marks & Spencer.
The high street online store hosts collections for all body sizes and types—including petite, curvy, plus size, and even a pregnancy wardrobe. This, combined with the proactive approach towards
sustainability (i.e., material sourcing, recycling, reusing, and donations) makes the brand a fan favourite – as evidenced by its social media fan base.
With over 5 million followers on Facebook, 1.7 million on Instagram, and 600,000 on Twitter, it’s clear that Marks & Spencer has a clear-cut social media marketing strategy to connect with clients. As consumers, this allows us to know the company and its ideals better—hence making the buying decision more informed.
From relaxed weekend attire to chic everyday wear, Marks & Spencer is the go-to store for a fashion fix. And thanks to the minimalistic web design that is both functional and easy on the eyes, the shopping experience is seamless—and dare we say, enjoyable.
As a cherry on top of the cake, you can also source gifts, flowers, wine, and food from the store. And when all is done, home delivery is free for orders above £50.
