Scotland named 'most enterprising nation in UK during pandemic' by eBay

Scotland has emerged as the “most enterprising nation in the UK during the pandemic”, according to eBay, with the number of people setting up a new business on the platform almost doubling.

New data from the internet auction giant has found that the number of new Scottish businesses on the platform grew by 90 per cent compared to the year before.

Aberdeen has seen the sharpest spike in eBay businesses, with the number of entrepreneurs growing by 3400 per cent in the south of the city, and 843 per cent in the north of the city.

Dundee west and North Ayrshire and Arran also saw significant growth, However, certain parts of the country did see a fall in the number of new businesses being set up,, including in Dumfries & Galloway.

One year on since the pandemic lockdown began, eBay has looked at how many new businesses were created during the last 12 months. Picture: AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez

Murray Lambell, UK general manager eBay, said: “No matter what is thrown at us, the entrepreneurial spirit of the UK bounces back better and stronger every time. London is often said to be the heart of entrepreneurialism in the UK, but the data published shows that Scotland and Wales are not to be underestimated.

“What’s also remarkable is that these new entrepreneurs are making the most of the rich ecosystem of the eBay marketplace. Toys have been hugely popular, and surprisingly American Football has been of interest too, tapping into the diverse, niche and nuanced interests of the 29 million customers on eBay UK.”

Wales was ranked in second place, behind Scotland, with the number of new businesses on the platform growing by 77 per cent compared to the year before.

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this article. We’re more reliant on your support than ever as the shift in consumer habits brought about by coronavirus impacts our advertisers. If you haven’t already, please consider supporting our trusted, fact-checked journalism by taking out a digital subscription: www.scotsman.com/subscriptions