European e-commerce – consumers demand product variety & delivery options

European e-commerce – consumers demand product variety & delivery options

The larger e-commerce markets in northern and central Europe are highly developed. Yet markets in the south and east are starting to catch up, and up-and-coming e-commerce markets such as Spain, Italy and Poland are quickly increasing their Internet penetration and look very promising.

EU e-commerceAs in most other parts of the world, conducting cross-border online purchases is becoming the norm among European consumers. The lower prices found in other countries is a strong driver for these types of purchases. It is also possible to find products online that are not easily available in consumers’ home markets.

When Europeans purchase goods from other countries within Europe, the UK and Germany are the most popular countries to buy from. Outside of Europe, the US is a popular market but the number of purchases from China is increasing the most.

As for preferred payment methods, the European markets are quite diverse. Depending on the country, either credit cards, invoices, PayPal, or cash on delivery (COD) are most widespread. European online shoppers also want to choose when and where their products are delivered. They want to have a choice of their own mailbox, picking up deliveries at service points, or even choosing the time of day for delivery.

For more information on international deliveries, see our page for delivery services to Europe. You can also order our report about E-commerce in Europe.

If your company is based in Europe, go to our page for MyPack delivery services to the Nordics.