The six major ecommerce trends in Spain

The ecommerce industry is constantly changing. Similarly in Spain, where ecommerce still isn’t as mature as in other big European countries. As a matter of fact, ecommerce in Spain only accounts for 5% of total ecommerce sales in Europe. But maybe the next six ecommerce trends may change this…

Rakuten, one of world’s largest internet companies by revenue and also one of the biggest ecommerce companies in Spain, has identified six trends for the summer season that has just begun. This summer, half of Spanish consumers will purchase something online. And while the desktop computer is still the most used method to buy things on the Internet, about 26% of Spaniards will order something online using their mobile phone, a report from Rakuten shows, according to Informaria.com.

Shopping from a sunlounger
And another survey shows that one in five online shoppers intends to continue ordering online during their days off. It’s no surprise Marc Vincent, CEO of Rakuten Spain, says that this summer, 15% of online purchases will be made in open spaces, which is a lot more than the 5% of last summer. More and more Spanish hotels and beaches are offering Wi-Fi and with the penetration of 4G in Spain continuing to improve, consumers have no reason to wait with shopping online until they are back from their vacation!

The rise of tablets
This summer, tablets may overtake the position of smartphones as most used devices for buying online using a mobile device. According to the E-Commerce Index from Rakuten, the usage of tablets grew by 42% last year, while smartphones grew by only 9.7% during the same period. In addition, studies from Adobe and Forrester indicate that tablet owners spend up to 21% more on each transaction. And given that the majority of purchases made on tablets happens during weekends of free time, it’s gonna be a very promising holiday season!

More ecommerce apps coming to you this summer!
Spanish consumers prefer to user the desktop pc to research products and to place orders, while mobile devices are often used to track shipments, the Annual Survey of eCommerce in Spain by IAB shows. The reason consumers still use the good ol’ desktop to place orders is because often the mobile version of an online store offers less experience. But that may change this summer thanks to mobile apps which already generate 24% of purchases among the most frequent online shoppers.

Increase of purchases after-hours
Monday is the day in the week most online shopping happens. This is the case in Spain, but also in many other countries. And this trend will continue during the summer as consumers prefer to use the weekend for leisure. Between six o’clock and twelve o’clock at night is when there are more orders, but an increasing number of consumers buy between 2 and 5 am and these people spend more money. Is this because they can’t go to sleep due to the heat?

Spaniards recommend the products they buy
Spain continues to lead the list of European countries with the most recommendations, through social networks, for products purchased on the internet. A study from Vision Critical shows that Pinterest is the social network that encourages more impulse purchases online. It’s interesting to watch and see how the Spaniards take a vacation from social networks this summer.

Prices, confidence and free delivery are key
Spanish consumers like to compare online stores and stay with the website that gives them a better price, but only if you give them confidence and if you don’t let them pay for shipping costs. The latter is especially important in the summer, when a lot of people are away from home.

“Traditionally, the summer is seen as a bad time for ecommerce, with falling sales and so on”, says Vincent. “However, factors such as the rise of mobile devices, the widespread of Wi-Fi and changing buying behaviors provide opportunities for companies that can take advantage of them.”