Ecommerce companies are bracing themselves for a period of uncertainty following the UK's decision to leave the European Union. The pound has plummeted in value following the referendum, meaning that in the short-term British customers buying from foreign sites will suddenly find that prices are much more expensive, whereas non-UK customers buying from British sites in their own currency will find prices to be cheaper. In the medium to long-term, there will also be ramifications. Many English-speaking non-EU countries, such as the US, currently ship their items to the UK in order to reach the whole of Europe, due to the lack of a language barrier and the fact that, as a member of the EU, the UK is part of the EU's free trade agreement. But now that the UK has voted to leave the EU, it is not hard to imagine that these companies may withdraw from the UK, as the country will no longer be a gateway to the EU. Justin Opie, from the UK etail trade associate IMRG said that it was âdifficult to quantifyâ exactly what the consequences of Brexit would be, but that ecommerce companies should expect a period of uncertainty.Â
