Statistics

A majority of German ecommerce businesses are not happy with how the industry is performing. Only 6 percent of online sellers are ‘very satisfied’, which is the lowest that has been recorded since 2015. At the same time, the share of ‘very dissatisfied’ sellers has increased from 15 to 21 percent in one year.

Last year, Dutch consumers spent 36 billion euros online. This was an increase of 5 percent, compared to 2023. At the same time, the number of orders fell by 1 percent. For the first time, the majority of international purchases were placed with Chinese platforms.

The European online DIY market reached a revenue of 66 billion euros last year. Compared to the total market of online and offline DIY sales, the online share was 17 percent. The total market value came to 388 billion euros.

One in fifty visits to medium-sized and small online shops in Germany results in a purchase. The conversion rate on desktops is slightly higher than on mobile devices. The differences between industries are significant.

Online spending in Romania reached 11.7 billion euros last year with 7.7 billion euros spent on products. This was an increase of 10 percent. Growth remains strong and is expected to continue this year.

The average shipping costs of the 100 largest online retailers in Germany have increased from 3.92 euros to 4.39 euros over the past two years. Fewer and fewer retailers offer free shipping as a standard. Nearly a quarter of companies charge return fees in some form.

The European Commission has conducted an investigation into online traders of second-hand goods. A majority of the companies involved in the so-called sweep may be in breach of European consumer rights and will be further investigated.

Zalando looks back on a successful year, with higher revenue, increased profits, and more customers. The company expects growth acceleration, driven by its successful ecosystem strategy. Zalando will also expand into three new countries this year: Portugal, Greece, and Bulgaria.

In the United Kingdom, 46 percent of online shoppers feel overwhelmed by the amount of options and information on retail websites. And one in five shoppers say that they stop shopping when they get a pop-up in the initial moments of a session.

Of the world’s 250 largest ecommerce companies, 95 have their headquarters in Europe. That is three more than in North and South America combined and significantly more than in Asia. Within our continent, Germany hosts the most headquarters.

Last year, 96 percent of Irish internet users made online purchases. The country has the biggest percentage of online shoppers, compared to other European countries. The Netherlands and Denmark also have high percentages, with 94 and 91 percent respectively.

A large share of German online store owners are dissatisfied with developments in the German ecommerce market. Strict regulations in the country about online sales seem to be the biggest hurdle for sellers, at least 60 percent of sellers are dissatisfied by the legal framework.

Last year, Amazon once again outpaced the ecommerce market growth in both Germany and the United Kingdom. Its revenue reached 39.6 billion euros and 36.7 billion euros, respectively. The American company has managed to withstand the rising competition from Chinese platforms, with growth in the United Kingdom accelerating even.

Over the past year, Amazon has delivered more than one billion products to Prime members in the United Kingdom on the day of order or the following day. The American company continues to invest in same-day delivery and its network of pick-up locations.

Between 2024 and 2029, Forrester is predicting an increase in online sales in Europe. It expects that online sales will grow from 389 billion euros in 2024, to 565 billion euros in 2029. Online sales will also take up a larger share of the total retail sales.