The demand to sell fresh dates online in the UK is growing. Many consumers want to order fresh dates online and have them delivered. For Muslim shoppers in particular, dates feature in special moments, such as iftar or nikkah gifts. And beyond that, the UK is seeing a rise in the halal food market, which means there is room for entrepreneurs to step into e-commerce for Islamic products.
If you’re thinking of starting up, this guide will take you through everything: understanding the market, sourcing your dates, launching your online business, writing listings, shipping, pricing and marketing. Think of it as your strong roadmap to selling dates online in the UK.
Understanding the UK Dates Market
Popular Date Varieties and Freshness
When people buy dates, they usually care about a few simple things: how they taste, their texture, where they come from, and how fresh they are. Popular types like Medjool, Ajwa, and Aseel are always in demand. Fresh dates stand out because they’re recently picked and not heavily processed. So, when you highlight that you sell fresh dates online, it instantly catches attention and builds trust.
Market Size and Opportunity
The UK halal food market is growing rapidly. For example, research shows the market size reached about USD 89.52 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach USD 193.47 billion by 2033, growing at a CAGR of around 8.94%.
While the total market covers many products, this growth signals that more people are seeking halal-certified, high-quality food items through online channels. That opens up space for a niche like dates.
Pricing Insight
To make good decisions, you’ll want to know typical pricing. For example, the retail price of dates in the UK is listed as between GBP 3.11 and GBP 7.77 per kilogram for certain dates in 2025.
These numbers give you a sense of the floor and ceiling for pricing.
Consumer Behaviour
Buyers looking for fresh dates in the UK are often motivated by health, tradition, gifting or religious observance. For instance:
Someone ordering for Ramadan or Eid wants dates that are of superior quality and trustworthy.
Someone gifting might look for packaging, presentation, and online convenience.
Understanding the “why” helps you craft your brand and listing.
How to Start an Online Dates Business
Step 1: Business registration and compliance
First, you’ll need to register as a business in the UK (sole trader, partnership or Ltd). Because you’re dealing with food, you must meet UK food safety and hygiene standards. You’ll also need proper storage, handling, and labelling.
Also, if you’re positioning within the Halal market, consider halal certification or at least make clear you meet halal standards (even if just sourcing from halal-approved suppliers).
Step 2: Sourcing Reliable Suppliers
Finding trustworthy dates suppliers is key. You’ll want a dates supplier in the UK or consider importing from date-growing countries and then storing/packing in the UK.
Some questions to ask:
a. Are the dates really fresh (harvested recently)?
b. What variety are they (e.g., Aseel, Medjool, Sukkari)?
c. Are they packed/handled in a way that maintains quality?
d. What are the wholesale rates of dates in the UK? (Check bulk pricing, quality tiers.)
Bulk prices might vary depending on variety and season.
Step 3: Estimating Costs and Margins
Before setting your prices, it’s important to know exactly how much it costs to sell dates online. Start by listing every expense, the cost of the dates, packaging, storage, shipping, marketing, and platform fees.
For example, if you buy dates at £5.99 per kg from a wholesaler and sell them for £7.99 to £9.99 per kg, you’ll need to make sure your delivery and packaging costs don’t reduce your profit too much. Having these numbers clear helps you make smarter pricing decisions.
It’s also a good idea to offer different pack sizes. Some customers might prefer a 500g bag, while others buy 1kg or 2kg packs. This flexibility can help you reach more buyers and increase your total sales.
Here’s a simple example:
Wholesale cost: £6/kg
Packaging and shipping: £2/kg
Other overheads: £1/kg
Total cost: £9/kg
If you sell at £12/kg, your gross margin is £3 per kg. Selling 500 one-kilogram packs each month would give you around £1,500 in gross profit.
As your business grows, you can lower costs by ordering in bulk and improving efficiency. You could also introduce multi-kg packs or monthly date subscriptions to build customer loyalty and increase long-term revenue.
Choosing Where to Sell
Own Website vs Marketplace
You can build your own e-commerce site (Shopify, WooCommerce, etc) or use an online marketplace for dates (or a larger “Islamic products” marketplace) for faster access to customers. Each has pros and cons:
Own website: Full branding control, higher margin, you manage traffic and SEO. But you need to drive traffic yourself.
Marketplace: Access to a built-in audience, lower startup barrier. But you will pay fees and have less control.
Given your brand, Riwaya, is an Islamic marketplace, you may choose to list your dates there to tap into the audience of Islamic products. That aligns nicely with modest food/gift products.
Listing Your Product
When you decide where to sell, you’ll want an eye-catching listing. Use a strong image of your fresh dates (clear, appealing), show the variety (fresh yellow dates maybe, if that’s your unique offering), and highlight benefits such as: fresh, halal-certified supplier, 1 kg pack, online freshness guarantee, UK delivery, etc.
Optimising Your Product Listings
Keywords and SEO
Because you’re in an online business, you’ll want to use the right keywords so your listing shows up in search. Help your listing appear for searches such as:
“sell fresh dates online”
“fresh dates online”
“fresh yellow dates online”
“online fresh dates delivery in the UK”
Using these keywords in your product title, description, meta tags, and blog posts will help. For example: “Buy fresh yellow dates online – 1 kg pack – UK delivery” is a strong title.
Writing an Engaging Description
Keep your description simple and friendly. Example elements:
What the product is: “Fresh Aseel dates, lovingly packed in the UK, 1 kg bag.”
Why it matters: “These dates are harvested this season, giving you that rich sweetness and soft texture.”
Benefits: “Halal-approved, perfect for iftar, gifts, healthy snacking.”
Delivery info: “Order fresh dates online and enjoy next-day UK delivery when you choose.”
Price: “1 kg dates price in UK: from just £X” (whilst keeping realistic).
Unique selling point: “Few supermarkets price these at such quality, we beat the best supermarket for dates on freshness and value.”
Packaging and Shipping Dates
Packaging Matters
When you ship dates, packaging becomes critical. Your customers expect the dates to arrive in good condition, still fresh, and looking attractive. Consider:
a. Food-safe, moisture-resistant packaging
b. Sealed bags inside a sturdy outer box or padded mailer
c. Clearly marked: “Keep in cool, dry place” or “Best consumed within X weeks”
d. Possibly include a halal certification badge if you have one.
Shipping Strategy
Offer UK-wide delivery. You’ll want to pick reliable courier or postal service and consider cost vs speed.
Boxing up perishable-ish products means you need to think about storage before dispatch. Even though dates are shelf-stable compared to fresh fruit, you still want to preserve freshness and avoid damage. Add clear instructions for the recipient (e.g., “store in fridge for best results once opened” if applicable).
Presentation & Gifting
If you’re targeting gifting (which many date buyers are especially during Ramadan or Eid), think about presentation: branded box, decorative ribbon, gift card option. The packaging becomes part of the product value, and you can often charge a small premium for it.
Marketing and SEO for Food Business
SEO and Content
Create blog articles or page content around keywords like “fresh dates online UK”, “benefits of Aseel dates”, “how to choose fresh yellow dates online”. This helps bring organic traffic.
You might write a “why our dates” story, showcase supplier pictures, talk about authenticity, and share health benefits (though always carefully so you don’t make unverified health claims). For example, many people believe that Aseel dates have particular health and energy-benefit reputations.
Social Media and Email
Use social media to show your product in use: people snacking, at iftar, as gifts. For email marketing, considering your brand Riwaya, send a campaign like: “Order fresh dates now for Ramadan” or “Gift a box of fresh dates this nikkah season”. The tone should reflect your brand values: simple, empathetic, faithful.
Influencers and Collaborations
Partner with Muslim food bloggers or lifestyle influencers who can showcase your dates. They might say things like “I ordered fresh dates online and they arrived beautifully packed” – this adds trust.
Market Around Seasons
Dates perform especially well around Ramadan, Eid, weddings, and nikkah gifts. So plan your campaigns ahead of those times.
Selling with Riwaya
Are you looking to sell dates online or start your own dates business?
At Riwaya, we make it simple to grow without the stress of creating your own website or managing marketing. With hundreds of thousands of monthly visitors and a trusted Muslim community, Riwaya connects you directly with customers searching for fresh, halal, and high-quality dates.
You don’t have to worry about SEO, ads, or tech setup; we take care of it all. Our team helps your products stand out so you can focus on what matters most: offering delicious, authentic dates that customers love.
If you’re ready to start your online dates business, join Riwaya today and reach thousands of Muslim shoppers across the UK. Your first month is completely FREE.
Conclusion
Selling dates online in the UK offers a promising opportunity. The growing demand for halal food, the convenience of e-commerce, and shifts in consumer behaviour all point towards growth. We have seen how to understand the market, source the right suppliers, set up your business, list your product effectively, package and dispatch, market it strongly, and price for profit.
If you follow this plan, clearly define your brand (for example, within Islamic-friendly ecommerce like Riwaya), focus on quality, optimise your listings with keywords, deliver strong packaging, and run smart marketing, you can carve out a niche in the Islamic e-commerce space in the UK.
Take the first step today: pick your date variety, secure your supplier, design your packaging, build your listing and prepare your launch. The market is ready for high-quality date suppliers who can deliver fresh, trustworthy products to UK homes.
