The UK’s top 25 fastest growing online retailers have been revealed, with beer brewing brand Pinter topping the table.
On this year’s league table, three of the top five brands come from London – including Pinter, the overall winner. But the North West is the hottest region in the UK for ecommerce brands – with five companies in the top 25 and 20% of all those listed based there.
Fashion and apparel brands make up 20% of the list – showing how customers increasingly shop for clothes online – and health and beauty brands were well represented.
UK firms on the list achieved sales of £206 million.
Brightpearl CEO Derek O’Carroll says: “When we consider the unpredictability and uncertainty of the last couple of years, from the pandemic, to the global supply chain crisis, through to the skyrocketing costs brought on by the Ukraine war, high rates of inflation and increased cost-of-living, it’s easy to paint a bleak picture for business.
“There can be no doubt that there are many obstacles for retailers to overcome. However, many have risen to this, and now the results are in, we can see that some firms aren’t just showing resilience – they are absolutely thriving, despite the difficult circumstances.
“When we look behind the data, there’s a combination of factors for that success, primarily driven by people and the innovative, data-driven technologies they are using that allow them to react quickly to the challenges they face.
“It’s fantastic to once again be able to celebrate and recognise the hard work that has gone into this growth, and I’d like to congratulate everyone who made it into the Lightning 50 list.”
Andrew Busby, a global industry analyst in retail, adds: “The pandemic and subsequent lockdowns gave rise to a whole new genre of e-commerce entrepreneurs. What is interesting looking at the Brightpearl Lightning 50 is that the fastest growing e-commerce brands are not necessarily household names.
“However, one thing characterises them, they know their market and their customer and they have a laser-like focus on delivering for them.
“It’s brilliant but actually no real surprise that the UK now dominates ecommerce. The UK has been at the forefront of ecommerce innovation and growth and it doesn’t show any sign of letting up post-pandemic.”
Brightpearl works with thousands of retailers introducing software that automates retail complexity and puts orders, inventory, financials, POS (point of sale) and CRM (customer relationship management) in one place so brands can grow fearlessly.
And the winner is…
Topping this year’s list was Pinter. The brewer, based in Walthamstow, London, has grown sales by more than sixfold (626%) to almost £6 million as beer lovers save money in the cost of living crisis by serving perfect pints they have brewed at home from its specially developed keg.
Brightpearl, the world leading retail operating system, has curated a list of the fastest growing e-commerce brands for its yearly Lightning 50 table.
Researchers tracked growth rates for hundreds of companies across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Pinter came out top as the home brewing craze which started during lockdown continued as pub lovers look to save cash by drinking at home while inflation spirals.
Since launching in 2020, Pinter has amassed a community of 60,000 brewers and it has sold the equivalent of 3,900,000 million pints. It was named a TIME Magazine invention of the year.
Pinter managing director Adam Keary says: “We are delighted to be named as the UK’s fastest growing online company by Brightpearl. It is a fantastic achievement to not only be recognised in the top 50, but also top this list.
“Our business is building a platform that will change the way we drink beer at home, built on a foundation of sustainability, innovation and freshness. Where we have come in such a short space of time, is nothing short of incredible.
“We can’t wait to build on this growth and continue our mission to put Fresh Beer into the hands of as many people as possible, while igniting the love and passion for brewing.”
Pinter offers brewers the option of more than 20 different beers and ciders – from European inspired lagers (Out Of Office) to American Pale Ale (Stars & Stripes), Brown Ale (Lost in Translation) to moreish cider (Whole Nine Yards).
To compile the Lightning 50, Bristol-based Brightpearl asked brands to submit annual growth figures from 2020 to 2021, with each brand ranked solely on its net growth percentage during that time frame.
