Building an eCommerce website in the UK: use Shopify for most B2C retail (£3,500–£25,000), custom development for complex B2B or marketplace (£30,000–£150,000). Both need UK GDPR cookie consent, Consumer Rights Act 2015 cancellation flow, and PCI-DSS compliance via Stripe/Adyen tokenisation.
Building an eCommerce platform in the UK requires decisions on platform (Shopify vs custom), UK consumer law compliance (14-day returns, Consumer Rights Act), PCI-DSS scope management, and UK GDPR for customer data. This guide walks through the complete process for both Shopify and custom builds.
Common questions about how to build an ecommerce platform in the uk — shopify vs custom (2025).
Initially yes — Shopify Basic is £29/month. But at scale: Shopify Plus is £2,000/month, Shopify charges 0.15–0.25% per transaction on external payment gateways, and app costs can exceed £500/month. At £3M+ annual revenue, custom development often provides better long-term value. ClickMasters offers an honest 3-year TCO comparison for your specific situation.
Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013: 14-day cancellation right, pre-contract information before purchase, order confirmation. Consumer Rights Act 2015: goods/digital content must match description. Distance Selling: transparent pricing (all charges included before checkout). UK GDPR: cookie consent, marketing consent, privacy notice, right to erasure. Equality Act 2010: accessible website (WCAG 2.1 recommended).
About the Author
ClickMasters eCommerce Team How to Build an eCommerce Platform in the UK specialists This guide reflects direct experience building these systems for UK businesses.
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