We share lots of articles containing hard statistics about ecommerce in Europe, but sometimes these are just numbers. Sometimes it can be more interesting to know more about the consumers driving these statistics. On this page you’ll find article we’ve written about online consumer behavior in Europe.
Growth in online consumer spending in Europe is slowing down. For the current year, Ecommerce Europe and EuroCommerce expect growth of 5 percent in nominal terms. The growth engine in Eastern Europe is grinding to a halt.
Temu has broken into the top 10 online retailers in almost every European country. In four countries, the platform owned by China’s PDD Holdings even ranks first, according to ECDB, based on its 2025 data. Worth noting that none of these countries has a local Amazon storefront or a major domestic marketplace.
The organic visibility of large online stores in Germany is under pressure. Last June, on average, they were 16.7 percent less visible in Google’s unpaid search results than in the same month last year.
Chinese ecommerce platforms such as AliExpress, Banggood, Shein, and Temu are more popular than average in Southern Europe, according to research by the European Central Bank (ECB). Shoppers are attracted by low prices and a wide product range.
Online retail in Switzerland has increased in turnover in the first half of 2026. At the end of June, there was a cumulative growth of more than 11 percent. Overall, the Swiss total retail trade has increased 2.6 percent compared to last year.
Online retail sales are rising sharply in the United Kingdom. According to the country's Office for National Statistics (ONS), online retail sales values were 11.7 percent higher in the second quarter than a year earlier. In June alone, they increased by 14.4 percent year-on-year. The online share of retail sales reached its highest level since April 2021.
Online turnover in Germany has increased 4.3 percent in the first half of the year, compared to the same period last year. In the second quarter, total turnover grew by 5.1 percent. It seems that consumer confidence in the country is improving.
Last week, Ceconomy shared its strategy for MediaMarkt and Saturn (also called MediaMarktSaturn) for the coming years. Collectively, the marketplaces achieved a GMV of 800 million euros during the financial year 2025 to 2026. According to the strategy, the GMV will more than double by the financial year 2028 to 2029.
Swiss online store Galaxus reached a revenue of 2.5 billion euros (2.3 Swiss francs) by the end of 2025. As a result, it has overtaken Zalando in the ranking of the biggest online stores in Switzerland. Zalando’s growth has stagnated, while Galaxus’ growth has accelerated quickly.
New reports on ecommerce in the five biggest European online markets shows that online shopping is still increasing in popularity. By 2029, online revenues in Germany, the United Kingdom, Spain, Italy and France could reach a total volume of 600 billion euros. This is driven by the use of AI in online shopping.
The DACH ecommerce market is expected to continue its steady growth, with annual increases ranging from 3 to 6 percent. The impact of Asian marketplaces is becoming increasingly evident across all three markets. In Austria, their share of ecommerce spending has already surpassed 10 percent.
Nowhere in Europe are ecommerce sales expected to grow faster through 2029 than in Turkey. Bulgaria ranks second, according to a new top 10 compiled by ECDB. “Eastern and Southeastern European countries are leading the growth race”, the ecommerce statistics company states.
Online spending in Central Europe is expected to grow by 8 percent this year, with a similar growth rate forecast for next year. The increase is mainly driven by existing online shoppers placing orders more frequently.
Last year, Belgian consumers spent 18.3 billion euros online. Compared to a year earlier, this is an increase of 5.4 percent. More Belgians have started shopping online, as more than 9 out of 10 made online purchases. However, most of the online spending went to foreign platforms.
Online spending in Germany continues to grow. The German Retail Federation (HDE) forecasts nominal ecommerce revenue to increase by 4.3 percent this year, reaching 96.3 billion euros. According to HDE, sales generated by physical stores will grow by only 1.6 percent.