Consumer behavior

Amazon has a massive impact on retail spending in Germany, both online and offline. More than one-third of all purchases in physical stores are preceded by a search for information on Amazon.

Buy now, pay later (BNPL) is experiencing significant growth in Germany, especially among young consumers. Schufa has reported a 30 percent increase in BNPL usage in just one year. The credit agency warns about the risks associated with deferred payments.

This year, the turnover of online stores in the Netherlands is expected to grow 4 percent, compared to last year. In 2022, a decrease of 2 percent in turnover was measured, says Dutch bank ING. At the same time, for the first time in a decade, the amount of sales in retail is expected to decline 2 percent.

Less than half (41 percent) of shoppers in the United Kingdom think that artificial intelligence (AI) is having a positive impact on their retail experiences. However, over two-thirds (70 percent) do prefer brands with personalized recommendations, which is how AI is often used in online retail.

Amazon and eBay are facing a declining number of mobile app users in the United Kingdom. According to market research agency GWS, Amazon has seen a million daily mobile shoppers disappear since the beginning of this year, eBay even almost two million. Meanwhile, Shein and Temu are storming the download lists.

Consumers in the Netherlands expect to spend 37 percent of their total expenditures online by 2028. This is five percentage points higher than the actual percentage in 2022. Still, the expectation has declined: last year, consumers expected to spend 41 percent of their expenditures online in five years.

Nine out of ten Belgians between the ages of 18 and 70 bought something online at least once last year. At least 33 percent of Belgian consumers say that they have one online store they always use to purchase a certain product online. Another 40 percent return to the same three online stores.

In German ecommerce, online sales of goods fell 15 percent in the first quarter of 2023. This is mostly the case for fashion items. On the other hand, sales of digital services such as holiday bookings increased by over 28 percent. The food segment remained stable.

Non-food online sales in the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy and Spain are expected to grow up to 4 percent. This is mostly driven by rising prices due to inflation. At the same time, sales volumes are set to fall up to 5 percent.

Costumer behavior in Germany is shifting. Google Shopping and price comparison sites are 10 percent less popular compared to 2019. When it comes to shoppers' research before making a purchase, social media and video websites like YouTube have grown more popular among German shoppers.

In the period from October 1^st to November 30^th, which includes Black Friday, German sales of online retailers decreased 16.8 percent when compared to the same period in 2021. It is the first time that this decrease happens, since researchers started measuring in 2014. However, an increase of 13.1 percent remains when compared to 2019.

More than half of online stores in Britain close their customer care after 5 pm. Additionally, 27 percent of the online stores in the country are only available during the daytime on Monday to Friday. “A missed opportunity”, says Jonathon Huggett, Business Development Manager at Salesupply UK.

Correct product information is important in online shopping, according to 94 percent of consumers. Compared to last year, this is an 11 percent growth. A lack of good product information even makes 53 precent of buyers want to shop elsewhere.

Most Europeans shop online every week or more, spending an average of over 340 euros a month. They mostly buy fashion, pay for bills or order food. One in three purchases is made crossborder. Ireland, Germany and Israel buy internationally the most, while France is the least likely to buy outside of the country.

Up to 65 percent of consumers with a disability have abandoned their cart due to poor accessibility of the online store. Often, websites do not meet basic accessibility needs, while up to 73 percent of consumers are touched by a disability.