71% of European e-shoppers buy cross-border

Almost three in four online shoppers in Europe have made a purchase from a retailer within Europe. And over half of European shoppers ordered something from an online retailer that’s located outside the continent. Cross-border shoppers purchase at foreign stores, mostly because of better prices and because they are searching for a specific brand or product that isn’t available in their home country.

That’s one of the conclusions from ‘Pulse of the Online Shopper‘, a study by UPS. The company writes in its report: “The internet has levelled the playing field, enabling retailers to connect with customers in different geographical locations and, in turn, enticing customers to make the leap of buying from beyond their home market. European consumers are globally minded and are willing to make online purchases from anywhere in the world, as long as some key conditions are met.”

UPS asked online shoppers in Europe about these conditions. The most important consideration when making an international purchase is payment security (75%), closely followed by whether the total cost of the order including duties and fees is clearly stated(72%). A clear returns policy (63%), all prices being stated in the home currency (63%), speed of delivery (62%) and ease of returns (62%) are also seem important for European online shoppers considering buying abroad.

Influence of online marketplaces in Europe

The study also looks at the influence of online marketplaces in Europe. When asked why they shopped at an online marketplace instead of a retailer, two in three shoppers cited better prices, while 43 percent said it’s because of the broader selection of products. In all surveyed countries, Amazon and eBay are the top two marketplaces, except for Poland, where Allegro (91%) and Zalando (43%) dominate the playing field.