The best ecommerce websites make it easy to find the right product, give people a reason to trust the brand, and remove every bit of friction between “I like that” and “order placed”. Gymshark, Bloom & Wild, Huel, Patagonia, Lush, Allbirds, Oliver Bonas and Not On The High Street all do this well, each in a different way.

Below we look at what each of these well-known shops does on its homepage and navigation, based on the live sites in October 2026, and pull out the ideas a small or medium UK business can borrow. Big brands have big budgets, but most of what makes their sites work is good thinking rather than expensive technology.

Great ecommerce design starts with how people shop

Every example below is organised around how its customers actually think. Gym-goers think about the type of training they do. Flower buyers think about the occasion. Gift buyers think about who the present is for and how much they want to spend. The best ecommerce website design mirrors those decisions in the menu and the homepage, so shoppers land on the right products in two or three clicks.

Before you look at colours or fonts, ask how your customers decide what to buy. That answer should shape your navigation more than anything else.

Related reading: Ecommerce Conversion Rate: What’s Good and How to Improve It

Eight ecommerce website examples worth studying

Gymshark: shopping by activity, not just by product

Gymshark’s main menu splits into Women, Men, Accessories and Explore, with large drop-down menus (often called mega menus) that group products by type, collection and activity. On the homepage, a “How do you train?” section lets people jump straight to lifting, running, HIIT or Pilates ranges, with a women and men toggle.

• What works: a video hero that shows the clothes moving, product tiles with review scores and fit notes, and training guides that keep people on the site.
• Borrow this: add a “shop by use” route alongside your normal categories. A garden centre could do “shop by job”, a bike shop “shop by riding style”.

Bloom & Wild: built around occasions and delivery dates

Bloom & Wild sells gifts that often need to arrive on a specific day, and its site reflects that. The menu covers flowers, plants, food and drink, cards, occasions and subscriptions, and there is a clear prompt to shop products available for the soonest delivery. Its letterbox flowers are their own category, which explains the format before anyone has to ask.

• What works: occasion-led collections, star ratings and review counts on bestsellers, and its Trustpilot rating shown on the homepage.
• Borrow this: if timing matters to your customers, make delivery speed something they can filter by, not something they discover at checkout.

Huel: helping people choose

Huel has a range that can confuse a first-time visitor, so the site works hard to guide them. The shop menu groups products by collection and by goal, such as eating healthily, saving time or getting more protein. A “Help me choose” route leads to a short questionnaire, and bundles give newcomers an easy first order.

• What works: a clear headline that says what the product is, a subscribe and save offer, a money-back taste guarantee, and press mentions and B Corp certification as trust signals.
• Borrow this: if customers often ask “which one should I get?”, answer that on the site with a simple product finder or a “start here” bundle.

Patagonia: the brand story sits next to the products

Patagonia’s site mixes shopping with storytelling and campaigns. Alongside the usual clothing categories, its menus include activism, stories, films and care and repair guides. Its Worn Wear programme for used and traded-in gear is linked from the homepage, and its Ironclad Guarantee is highlighted.

• What works: big outdoor photography, a clear “new arrivals” hero, and content that gives people a reason to buy from this brand rather than a cheaper one.
• Borrow this: if you have a genuine story, such as how products are made, repaired or sourced, give it a proper place in the navigation rather than burying it on an “About” page.

Lush: values right next to the categories

Lush helps visitors “find your perfect product” by category, from bath and shower to skincare and subscriptions. Close by, it links to the things its customers care about, such as naked (packaging-free) products, fighting animal testing, vegetarian products and ethical buying. A shop finder connects the website to its high street stores.

• Borrow this: put your two or three strongest reasons to buy where shoppers can see them while browsing, not just in the footer.

Allbirds: simple navigation and clear materials messaging

Allbirds keeps its main menu short: Men, Women, Sale, Bestsellers and New Arrivals. Product tiles show the name, price and colourway, with badges such as “New Colour”. A “Materials From The Earth” section explains its use of wool, tree fibre and sugarcane in plain language.

• Borrow this: a short menu is easier on a phone. Use badges sparingly to flag what is genuinely new.

Oliver Bonas: gifting made easy

Oliver Bonas sells across fashion, homeware, jewellery and furniture, which could easily become overwhelming. Its homepage uses large image tiles to send people into the main departments, and its gifts section lets shoppers browse by recipient, by occasion and by price band. Delivery and returns messaging, including click and collect, sits in a banner at the top, and a store locator is in the header.

• Borrow this: if you have shops as well as a website, make click and collect and your store finder easy to spot.

Not On The High Street: a marketplace that feels personal

Not On The High Street is a marketplace for independent brands, so it has a huge catalogue. It makes this manageable with gift routes by recipient and occasion, including milestone birthdays, and a dedicated personalised gifts section. Maker stories introduce some of the small businesses behind the products, and product listings show ratings and badges such as “Top Brand”.

• Borrow this: real faces and real makers build trust. If you make your products, show who makes them and where.

The features the best online shops have in common

Look across these examples and the same building blocks appear again and again.

Feature	Why it matters	Seen on
Navigation that matches how people shop	Shoppers reach the right products quickly	Gymshark, Huel, Bloom & Wild
Delivery and returns messaging near the top	Answers the first question many shoppers have	Oliver Bonas, Allbirds, Huel
Visible reviews and ratings	Social proof from real customers	Bloom & Wild, Gymshark, Not On The High Street
Help choosing	Reduces uncertainty for first-time buyers	Huel
A clear brand story	Gives people a reason to choose you over a cheaper option	Patagonia, Lush, Allbirds
Gift routes by recipient, occasion or price	Matches how gift buyers think	Oliver Bonas, Not On The High Street

What small UK shops can take from big brands

You do not need a video team or a custom app to use these ideas. Most of them come down to planning and good copy. Here is where we would start with a smaller online shop:

1. Plan your menu around customer decisions. List the questions people ask before they buy, then build categories and filters that answer them.
2. Write a homepage headline that says what you sell. Huel’s “Fast, nutritious, complete food” leaves no room for confusion.
3. Show delivery costs and timings early. Unexpected costs at checkout are a common reason people abandon a basket.
4. Collect and display reviews. Use a recognised review platform and show ratings on product pages.
5. Use real photography. Show products in use and at scale. Stock images rarely sell a product.
6. Design for phones first. Test every page, filter and checkout step on a mobile.
7. Keep checkout short. Offer guest checkout and wallets such as Apple Pay and Google Pay.

Good design only works if the site is fast and findable

A beautiful shop that loads slowly, or that nobody can find on Google, will not sell much. Behind the scenes, the best ecommerce websites also have clean product page structure, clear category descriptions, compressed images and sensible URLs. Google’s own ecommerce guidance for site owners is a useful read on how it understands product pages.

The platform matters too. Many of the brands above run on large custom or enterprise setups. For most small and medium UK businesses, a well-built WooCommerce or Shopify store can deliver the same principles at a fraction of the cost. Our ecommerce web design page explains how we plan and build online shops.

Frequently asked questions

What makes a good ecommerce website?

Clear navigation, fast loading, strong product photography, honest delivery and returns information, visible reviews and a short checkout. Everything should help a shopper find the right product and buy it with confidence.

Should my homepage show products or categories?

Usually both. Category tiles help people orientate themselves, while a small selection of bestsellers or new arrivals gives returning visitors something fresh. Oliver Bonas leans on categories, while Gymshark mixes both.

Can a small business compete with big brand websites?

Yes, on clarity and personality. Small shops can be more specific about who they serve, show the people behind the business and answer questions in a more personal way.

How much does an ecommerce website cost in the UK?

It varies widely with the number of products, integrations and design work involved. A simple builder store can cost a monthly subscription, while a custom shop involves an upfront build plus hosting and maintenance. Get a quote based on what you actually need.

Build an online shop that sells

If you want a shop that borrows the best ideas from these examples and fits your budget, we can help you plan and build it. See our WooCommerce agency service and ecommerce web design work, or get in touch for a chat.