UK electronics market set for GBP £25.4bn as search trends shift

The UK consumer electronics market is projected to reach GBP £25.4 billion in 2025, despite a marginal overall decline in brand demand over the past year.

According to the latest Q2 2025 Consumer Electronics Report from MediaVision, a combination of AI-enabled devices, smartphones, and strong appetite for new gadgets and appliances are fuelling this continued market growth. The report draws insights from MediaVision's proprietary technology, Metis, analysing consumer search trends and market share in the sector.

Industry trends

While brand demand dipped by nearly 3% year-on-year, the report indicates the sector maintains an upward trajectory, driven chiefly by evolving consumer behaviours and popular product categories. Despite a challenging economic backdrop and heightened competition, many brands have sustained robust interest via targeted marketing and strategic alignment with consumer needs.

Louis Venter, Chief Executive Officer at MediaVision, said: "Like most eCommerce verticals, leaders in consumer electronics have faced a year of fierce competition, economic flux and rapid changes in consumer behaviour. This quarter's data underlines just how dynamic the consumer electronics landscape has become, and how quickly brand demand can be influenced by the right mix of timing, creative execution and agility."

Brand search performance

The report's analysis of brand search in the consumer tech sector saw Currys secure a leading share among pure electronics brands, holding 24.78% despite a slight decrease of 1.05% year-on-year. CEX follows with a 10.35% share, reflecting consistent interest among budget-conscious customers. EE, Apple, and Vodafone represent the next highest shares among single-category brands.

Oliver Yee, Head of SEO at MediaVision, said: "We've seen Currys' cement its share of brand search, positioning it as a clear leader in consumer electronics. Their social-first strategy and tactical alignment with high-demand periods is noteworthy - we can clearly see the positive impact it's had on their brand demand. CEX has the next biggest share. Its steadiness indicates strong ongoing intent among budget-conscious buyers, reflecting that tech affordability remains relevant in a cautious consumer climate."

Multi-category dominance

Multi-category retailers expand their presence in electronics, with Amazon capturing a 33.18% share of brand searches. Argos is next, with a 14.46% share, joined by Tesco (10.13%), Aldi (8.46%), and Asda (8.32%). The report notes that even within specialised categories such as technology, broader retailers' convenience and logistics capabilities can outweigh brand equity.

Yee added: "When it comes to multi-category players, it's no surprise to see Amazon taking up the lion's share of brand search. It highlights a broader truth: even in specialist categories like tech, convenience, and logistics can trump brand equity. For emerging players, the path to cut through is about value proposition and identifying green shoots of opportunity - and acting on them - before competitors."

Emerging brands

The report identifies Oura Ring and Whoop as standouts among brands experiencing the fastest year-on-year brand search growth. Oura Ring's share rose by 0.39% to 1.00%, attributed in part to its high-profile "Give Us the Finger" campaign, while Whoop's brand share grew 0.20% to 0.62%. Nintendo, Dyson, and Ao.com also registered positive growth.

Annabelle Sacher, Head of Digital PR at MediaVision, said: "Notable players this quarter have all tapped into a winning formula that has positively impacted their brand demand - authentic storytelling. Oura Ring demonstrates the effect of bold messaging in a crowded market, especially when anchored by standout Creative in their 'Give Us the Finger' campaign, which transformed wearable tech into a cultural moment."

Growth among multi-category players

Among multi-category retailers, Lidl posted the highest year-on-year gain, with an increase of 0.7% brand search share. Tesco, Costco, and John Lewis also noted incremental improvements.

Shifting product interest

Appliances emerged as the leading product category in terms of growth, recording a 17.01% year-on-year rise in demand and comprising 41.44% of search share. Computing, gaming, phones, smart technology, and TV & audio followed, each experiencing varying degrees of increased interest.

Jacky Lovato, Head of Content at MediaVision, commented: "It's been fascinating to see how search behaviour aligns almost instantaneously with the thermostat as temperatures peak in the UK. In fashion, we saw demand spikes for linens and in homeware, it was outdoor furniture. In consumer electronics, portable cooling was everything - evidenced by the 154% jump in demand for 'portable air conditioners'."

Portable air conditioners saw the highest growth in search demand, evidenced by a 154% year-on-year rise. Other growing product categories included coffee machines (+31%), laptops (+24%), and washing machines (+12% for the category and +20% for the specific 'buy washing machine' search).

Sector summary

Summarising the findings, Louis Venter said: "With cautious consumer spending and a strong competition set, the overall CE category is down almost 3% over the past three months, but we've seen some clear winners pushing through."

"This quarter's data underlines just how dynamic the consumer electronics landscape has become, and how quickly brand demand can be influenced by the right mix of timing, creative execution and agility."