Statistics

Finnish consumers rate ecommerce the least eco-friendly industry compared to the rest of Northern Europe, while Danish customers are the most critical about sustainability. Moreover, Finn.no, Matsmart, Aarstiderne, Tori.fi and Bol.com are voted most sustainable online retailers.

Cross-border ecommerce in Europe was worth 171.2 billion euros in 2021. This is a growth of 17 percent when compared to the year before. European online businesses generated a cross-border revenue of 100 billion euros.

Just about 30 percent of European online retailers offer information on sustainability, human rights and animal welfare. German, French and Swedish shops offer the most insight into their activities. International sellers and marketplaces also score higher than national retailers.

Customer support was busier in 2021: ticket volumes increased for all channels compared to the year before. Consumers also have higher expectations of customer service.

Ecommerce in the Netherlands was worth 30.6 billion euros in 2021. This is a 16 percent growth when compared to the year before. As a result, the online share of total spending by Dutch consumers rose to 31 percent.

Ecommerce in Belgium was worth 11.7 billion euros in 2021. This is a growth of 33 percent when compared to the situation one year earlier. At the end of the year, a total of 56.642 online stores were registered in Belgium.

While Dutch parcel deliverers saw a strong growth in order volume last year, Dutch consumers are increasingly expecting fast deliveries for their online purchases. The demand for same day delivery grew with no less than 69 percent in 2021.

Households in the United Kingdom are increasingly using subscription boxes. In 2020, 65 percent received these parcels, while last year this number rose up to 81 percent. The strong growth means that the subscription box market was worth 473.1 million euros in 2021.

Coolblue, the Dutch electronics retailer, made a revenue of 2,3 billion euros in 2021. That is 18 percent more than the year before. The profits turned out lower in the past year. This is due to investments, according to Coolblue.

Bol.com made 5,5 billion euros in online sales last year. That is 27 percent more than the year before. The platform now has 49 thousand third party retailers. Together they generate more than half of the revenue.

In order to meet expectations of customers, B2B manufacturers are planning to accelerate their digital transformation this year. At least 83 percent of them will increase their budget for investments into digital business strategies. In doing so, they hope to tap into new revenue streams.

Last year, Germany, the UK, France and Italy generated 60 percent of the total European ecommerce revenue. The UK is currently the leader in ecommerce in Europe, even after Brexit. However, Germany is expected to take over that place by 2025.

Retailers within the UK have terminated contracts worth 8.3 billion euros with suppliers that didn't meet ethical and sustainable standards in 2021. The demand for ethical and sustainable products from customers has led to a shift in how retailers shape their supply chain.

Dutch ecommerce businesses were able to increase their turnover with 23.6 percent when compared to 2020. While this turnover growth is higher than what physical stores achieved, it's evident that the strong ecommerce growth in the country is slowing down. In comparison: in 2020 the online turnover growth was almost 44 percent.

German ecommerce has gone through a strong growth in 2021. Gross sales of ecommerce products amounted to 99.1 billion euros, which is a growth of 19 percent compared to 2020. Almost every seventh euro available to German consumers for household expenses was spent on products online.