Europe Buys Fashion Online Dominating E-commerce Landscape
European online shoppers are increasingly turning to digital platforms for their needs, with clothing, footwear, and accessories emerging as the undisputed leader in online purchases. According to 2024 figures released by Ecommerce Europe, the online retail confederation, a remarkable 70% of European online shoppers purchase items in this category. This places it significantly ahead of other popular segments, such as multimedia products, which attract 56% of consumers, and streaming subscriptions, favored by 46%.
The comprehensive ranking, derived from a Eurostat survey informing Ecommerce Europe’s annual benchmark report, further reveals diverse online buying habits. Perfumes and cosmetics are bought online by 31% of consumers, while 26% acquire sports equipment through e-commerce channels. These statistics underscore a broad and evolving landscape of online retail preferences across the continent.
When it comes to the origin of sellers, the report highlights a strong preference for domestic transactions, with 83% of Europeans placing orders with sellers within their own countries. Cross-border European shopping is also significant, with 33% of consumers purchasing from sellers in other European nations. Interestingly, 16% of customers reported ordering from sellers whose nationality they were unaware of. Furthermore, 20% of orders were placed with sellers located outside the EU. This latter figure remains consistent with the previous report, but its trajectory is under close observation due to the growing influence of non-EU platforms like Shein and Temu.
Despite the robust growth, industry leaders express concerns about the regulatory environment. Luca Cassetti, secretary general of Ecommerce Europe, noted a "significant shift in perspective at the European level on issues such as competitiveness and simplification," but stressed that "the urgency of the situation remains unaddressed." Adding to this, director general Christel Delberghe emphasized, "Europe urgently needs to step up enforcement to ensure that all companies, whether based in the EU or not, meet the same obligations, with consistent and rigorous implementation across all Member States." This sentiment underscores a desire for a level playing field and stronger regulatory oversight.
The annual report also sheds light on a notable technological disparity between businesses of different sizes. Larger companies, those employing over 250 individuals, show higher levels of "digital intensity" – a metric encompassing connection speed, remote working capabilities, automation, and other criteria. Specifically, 46% of these larger firms report high digital intensity, and 41% report very high levels. In stark contrast, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) lag behind, with 40% reporting low digital intensity and 27% at very low levels, indicating a significant technological gap that could impact competitiveness.
Geographically, Western Europe continues to be the primary engine of European e-commerce in 2024, as per the benchmark report. Comprising France, Germany, the UK, Ireland, and the Benelux countries, this region accounts for a dominant 64% of all Business-to-Consumer (B2C) online sales. Southern Europe, including Portugal, Spain, Italy, and Greece, holds the second position, contributing 19% to the overall turnover. In absolute terms for 2023, Western Europe generated €569 billion, Southern Europe €166 billion, and Central Europe (9% of the total) €79 billion. Northern Europe, with 6% of the market, generated €56 billion, closely followed by Eastern Europe, which accounted for 2% of the total with €17 billion.
