Burberry launched its first e-commerce website in 2006.
The rollout was part of the company's wider effort to modernise its retail model and reconnect a historic outerwear brand with younger luxury shoppers. Burberry first sold online in the United States, then expanded online shopping to the United Kingdom in October 2006, followed by the rest of the European Union in 2007.
This timing matters because Burberry later became one of luxury fashion's most prominent digital innovators. Under CEO Angela Ahrendts and creative director Christopher Bailey, the company invested heavily in online storytelling, social media, livestreamed runway shows, and a close connection between its website and physical stores.
A common mistake is to use 2008 or 2003, years that may be associated with later digital expansion or other stages of Burberry's corporate development. The question asks when e-commerce began, not when every major market had online access. The earliest launch year was therefore 2006.