Outlook
Do UK affiliate programme results differ between London and Scotland?
UK affiliate programme performance by region differs sharply: London brings scale and comparison publishers, Scotland brings loyalty and cashback strength.
What to take away
- YesLondon and Scotland produce different affiliate economics, driven mainly by publisher mix and validation rather than headline commission.
- London skews to comparison, voucher and editorial publishers with higher order values and more returns; Scotland skews to cashback, loyalty and regional media.
- No UK network publishes a standing London versus Scotland affiliate table, so the regional split has to come from your own account.
- ONS retail and digital industry series set national demand context, and neither separates London from Scotland.
Where the results actually differ
Programme teams that split accounts by region usually see one shape. London carries more comparison, voucher and editorial publishers, while Scotland carries more cashback, loyalty and regional media.
The patterns below come from account-level splits that programme teams report. Treat them as a planning frame, not a published benchmark.
London pattern
- Publisher mix
- comparison, voucher, editorial
- Average order value
- higher
- Conversion per click
- lower
- Returns and reversals
- higher in fashion and home
- Effective commission cost
- higher after validation
Scotland pattern
- Publisher mix
- cashback, loyalty, regional media
- Average order value
- lower
- Conversion per click
- higher on member traffic
- Returns and reversals
- lower
- Effective commission cost
- lower after validation
London vs Scotland programme economics
London pattern
- Average order value
- Higher, considered purchases
- Commission rate
- Under pressure
- Conversion rate
- Lower per click
- Validation rate
- Lower fashion/home
- Publisher type
- Comparison, voucher, editorial
Scotland pattern
- Average order value
- Lower, frequent baskets
- Commission rate
- Lower but stable
- Conversion rate
- Higher, cashback/loyalty
- Validation rate
- Higher, fewer returns
- Publisher type
- Cashback, loyalty, regional media
Higher London order values flatter commission cost per sale, but shoppers there compare several sites before buying.
Scottish cashback and loyalty members arrive with intent and a membership habit. That lifts conversion and reduces reversals, while smaller baskets pull average order value down.
Seasonality and delivery differ as well. Rural Scottish postcodes can face longer delivery windows and higher free-shipping thresholds, which removes some low-value baskets from the mix.
Which networks publish regional splits
Awin, Tradedoubler, Webgains, Rakuten Advertising, Impact.com and Partnerize all run UK affiliate programmes.
Their public output is annual market and sector reporting, and it is national in scope. A standing London versus Scotland performance table is not something a programme team can quote.
Regional detail arrives through an account export or a direct request to your network contact. Publisher-side samples, such as cashback member surveys, are the other common source.
Ask for publisher count, gross sales, average order value, validation rate and return rate by region. Then ask whether region means the publisher's address or the consumer's address, because the two answer different questions.
What ONS data covers, and what it leaves out
The ONS retail industry series tracks online and non-store retailing across Great Britain, including how much retail spending happens online.
ONS publishes no London and Scotland split of retail sales, and nothing on affiliate commission.
The ONS digital and internet industry data sizes the business population that runs or joins affiliate programmes, and that population is concentrated in London and the South East.
Programme teams weighing regional budgets should treat affiliate marketing demand signals as something to test against their own account data, because a national index will not show a Scottish lift.
Use ONS for demand context and network material for publisher context. For money, use your own regional split. Neither published source will settle a regional rate card on its own.
Example: the same £100,000 of gross sales in two regions
Two publishers each generate £100,000 in gross sales. The figures below are illustrative, chosen to show how validation changes the comparison.
- London publisher10 per cent commission, 80 per cent validation. Confirmed commission is £8,000.
- Scottish publisher7 per cent commission, 95 per cent validation. Confirmed commission is £6,650.
- Cost returns and payment handling before you renegotiate, because the London gap narrows further once fashion returns are counted.
Headline rates and gross sales are the least reliable numbers here. Affiliate marketing key metrics explains which figures belong before validation and which belong after it.
Tax touches the same money. A publisher whose turnover passes the £90,000 VAT registration threshold must register, which changes how commission is invoiced and when it is paid.
Checklist for splitting a programme by region
Run this list before you compare regional rate cards or renew a network contract.
- Export gross sales, average order value and conversion by region.
- Apply validation and return rates before comparing commission cost.
- Separate cashback and loyalty traffic from comparison traffic.
- Record whether the regional cut uses publisher address or consumer address.
- Count publishers per region, not revenue alone.
- Recalculate contribution after returns and payment costs.
Where to recruit first
Recruit where the marginal publisher is cheapest to win. Scottish cashback, loyalty and regional media partners face less competition than London comparison sites, and terms are often easier to agree.
The Bristol and Cardiff affiliate markets show the same pattern in two more cities, which helps if you are testing recruitment outside London and Scotland.
Set regional targets for publisher mix, then review rates annually on validated sales. A London rate that looks generous after returns may already be competitive.
Common questions
Do Scottish affiliate programmes really convert better?
On member traffic, often yes. Cashback and loyalty audiences arrive with intent, so conversion runs ahead of cold comparison traffic, though basket size stays lower.
Should commission rates differ by region?
Rates should follow publisher type and validated contribution, not postcode. A lower Scottish rate can still beat a higher London rate once returns are counted.
Which ONS data is closest to affiliate performance?
None is close. The retail industry and digital industry series describe demand and business population, and neither splits affiliate revenue between London and Scotland.
How reliable are network regional reports?
Treat them as supply-side evidence. Check the Scottish sample size and whether region means publisher or consumer address before quoting a figure internally.
