British e-commerce started in the 1990s. But it's only been in the past decade that it has really taken off. Which online shopping websites are Britons' favorite? And how is the British online retail model transforming life and the way companies conduct business in Great Britain? Lily Lyu reports.

A music album that cost seven pounds opened the door to British on-line shopping 24 years ago. Britain has kept its position as the largest e-commerce country in Europe ever since. Industry data shows that over 70 percent of Britons chose to buy their Christmas gifts online in the last two years. The total value created by online-shopping averaged above 24 billion pounds. The top places for British consumers to spend money on line were ASOS, Harrods, and Selfridge.

"Stock market performance is a reliable bellweather for the transformation of the British business landscape. Shares of e-commerce firms are soaring while the conventional brick-and-mortar stores are struggling to keep afloat. For example, retail giant--Marks & Spencer--saw its annual profits plummeted 66 percent recently, and plans to close over 100 stores across Britain by 2022. In comparison, online supermarket Ocado went public this month on the FTSE 100. Its shares have put on a very impressive performance since its debut. Analysts attribute the success to the company's diverse product lines and state-of-the-art 4G delivery system."

"Analysts say the next step for e-commerce is the seamless integration between online and off-line operations. Meanwhile, many overseas e-commerce companies are learning from the success of their Chinese counterparts, creating various shopping festivals to bump up their profits. Lily Lyu, CGTN."