E-commerce regulations for online selling
Legal requirements for selling online - including consumer contracts, pre-contract information, cancellation rights, and digital content regulations.
Retail & Consumer Goods
Which retail rules apply to your business
"Retail" covers very different businesses — a clothes shop, a convenience store selling alcohol and tobacco, a petrol forecourt, a pharmacy, a firearms dealer, a market stall, an online store. Each has its own regulators and rules, on top of the consumer-law duties every retailer shares. Work out which description fits you and follow the right guidance.
UK-wide
On this page
UK-wide
Related guides in General Compliance
Age-Restricted Products
Understand legal requirements for selling age-restricted products including alcohol, tobacco, and knives.
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Consumer rights compliance for traders
Your legal obligations under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 when selling goods, services, or digital content to consumers. …
App store and digital platform regulation
How the Digital Markets Act and CMA regulation affects large digital platforms and app store operators. Covers Strategic …
Retail spans everything from a single market stall to a national online store. The consumer-law core is the same for everyone — goods must match their description and be of satisfactory quality, prices must be displayed accurately, and unfair commercial practices are banned. But what else applies depends almost entirely on what you sell and how: alcohol and tobacco bring licensing and age-verification regimes, petrol brings storage certificates and major-hazard rules, medicines bring pharmacy regulation, and firearms bring police registration.
Several of these regimes are devolved or differ by nation — there is no tobacco retailer register in England, but you must register before selling in Scotland and Northern Ireland, for example. Start with the duties every retailer shares, then follow the guidance for what you sell.
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Put the shared duties in place
Whatever you sell, start with the universal spine. Follow "Run a compliant retail business" for consumer rights, pricing, fair trading under the DMCC Act 2024, weights and measures, data protection, equality, employers' liability insurance, fire safety, health and safety, business rates and the waste duty of care.
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If you sell food or run a convenience store
Register your food business with the local authority at least 28 days before trading (free), prepare for hygiene inspections and the food hygiene rating scheme, and follow allergen labelling rules. If you also sell alcohol you need a premises licence and (in England and Wales) a designated premises supervisor — follow the alcohol licensing guidance, which also covers the Scottish and Northern Ireland regimes.
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If you sell alcohol, tobacco, vapes, knives or other age-restricted products
Operate age verification (Challenge 25), train staff and keep refusals logs. Follow "Age-Restricted Products" — and note the nation-specific tobacco registers and the incoming Tobacco and Vapes Act 2026 changes. For knives, follow "Selling knives and bladed articles", including the ban on delivering bladed products to home addresses.
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If you run a petrol forecourt
Storing petrol needs a petroleum storage certificate from the petroleum enforcement authority, strict forecourt safety procedures, and — for large storage sites — COMAH notification. Follow "Run a petrol station or forecourt".
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If you run a pharmacy or sell optical goods
Pharmacy premises must be registered (GPhC in Great Britain) with a responsible pharmacist in charge; optical businesses trading as opticians have General Optical Council duties; general retailers can sell only general-sale medicines in limited pack sizes. Follow "Run a retail pharmacy or optical business".
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If you deal in firearms, shotguns or air weapons
You must be registered as a firearms dealer with the police, keep a transaction register, and verify buyers' certificates — including air weapon certificates in Scotland. Follow "Sell firearms, shotguns and air weapons".
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If you trade from a market stall or street pitch
You need street trading consent or a licence from each local authority where you trade (London boroughs run their own regimes), plus food business registration if you sell food. Follow "Specialist retail licences and registrations".
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If you sell online or at a distance
Distance sales add the 14-day cooling-off period, pre-contract information duties, website information requirements and delivery rules. Follow "Distance Selling and E-Commerce" — and if you run subscriptions, prepare for the DMCC Act 2024 subscription rules.
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Confirm you have covered everything
Finish with the annual retail compliance checklist to confirm your obligations are in place before you begin or continue trading.
Official sources
Authoritative starting points for retail businesses.