E-commerce in Europe 2020 - How the pandemic is changing e-commerce in Europe - PostNord
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E-commerce in
Europe 2020
How the
pandemic
is changing
e-commerce
in Europe
Contents
Foreword: The crisis shows the importance of sustainable business practices ............................................................................................................ 3
Overview: The European e-commerce market .................................................................................................................................................................................................. 4
Outlook: E-commerce breaks records, but don’t forget sustainability....................................................................................................................................... 7
E-commerce in Europe: 293 million consumers have shopped online in the past year .................................................................................. 8
E-commerce in Europe: Top product categories among European online shoppers ...................................................................................... 10
COVID-19: COVID-19 has driven e-commerce in Europe ........................................................................................................................................................................ 12
International retailing: China, the UK and the US top the list for cross-border online shopping ...................................................... 14
Eastern and Western Europe: E-commerce has matured in Western Europe and is growing in Eastern Europe........... 16
Marketplaces: Amazon and Zalando: two dominant marketplaces in Europe ........................................................................................................... 18
Deliveries: Consumers accept longer delivery times during the pandemic ................................................................................................................ 20
Mobile e-commerce: Europeans have become used to mobile e-commerce ......................................................................................................... 24
Payment methods: More payment solutions result in better business .............................................................................................................................. 25
Detailed results .................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 50
PostNord – an e-commerce partner ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 57
Countries under the spotlight
Spotlight on: UK...................................................................................................... 26 Spotlight on: Belgium ............................................................................... 38
Spotlight on: Germany................................................................................... 28 Spotlight on: Poland .................................................................................. 40
Spotlight on: France ......................................................................................... 30 Spotlight on: Sweden ................................................................................ 42
Spotlight on: Spain ............................................................................................. 32 Spotlight on: Denmark ............................................................................ 44
Spotlight on: Italy ................................................................................................. 34 Spotlight on: Norway ................................................................................. 46
Spotlight on: The Netherlands ........................................................... 36 Spotlight on: Finland .................................................................................. 48
About this report This is of significance, since internet use
varies among the different European
The Oxford COVID-19 Government Re-
sponse Tracker is the source of the dates
countries. on which countries imposed lockdowns,
PostNord has studied the European To calculate how many consumers unless stated otherwise.
e-commerce market in the E-commerce from each market shop online, we used E-commerce is defined as the pur-
in Europe report since 2014. The report is Eurostat’s population statistics for 2019 chase of physical products online. This
based on interviews with a total of about as a basis. To calculate the average pur- means that services (e.g. travel, hotel and
12,800 consumers in Belgium, Denmark, chase in EUR we used the exchange rate tickets), as well as downloads (e.g. music,
Finland, France, Germany, Italy, the Neth- from May 2020. The report describes a movies and apps), are not included.
erlands, Norway, Poland, Spain, Sweden drop in GDP between the last quarter PostNord also publishes the E-barom-
and the UK. When the report refers to of 2019 and the first quarter of 2020 for eter survey in Sweden. It is based on a
Europe, it is referring to these countries several European countries. The source different methodology, for which reason
unless stated otherwise. of these figures is Eurostat. it is not fully comparable with this report.
The interviews were conducted with
representative nationwide samples of
private individuals aged 15–79 years. The NUMBER OF RESPONDENTS IN EACH COUNTRY
number of respondents varies slightly
between countries, but in most cases has 1,200 1,136 1,128
1,026 1,053 1,069 1,065 1,070 1,083 1,053
been around 1,000. 1,037 1,052 1,026
1,000
The interviews were conducted by the
800
research company Nepa. Since the sur-
vey was conducted online, the responses 600
Netherlands
were recalculated based on the percent-
Denmark
Germany
Belgium
400
Sweden
Norway
Finland
Poland
France
age of the population in each country
Spain
Italy
200
that used the internet in 2019. This
UK
percentage was calculated by Eurostat. 0
2 E-commerce in Europe 2020
Foreword
The crisis shows the
importance of sustainable
business practices
S
o far, 2020 has been in a class of
its own. Essentially everyone has “In our code of conduct for
been impacted by the coronavirus
pandemic in some way, although suppliers, we require
already vulnerable groups have been
hit hardest.
reasonable wages and
The pandemic has also revealed
just how vulnerable society is, and in
working conditions for all
this context I would like to mention
PostNord’s sustainability efforts.
employees, as well as a
We have been working to reduce our climate and good, safe working
environmental footprint for years. At the same time, we have
also worked to increase social and economic sustainability. environment.”
PostNord Sweden recently achieved a gold level rating from to, from and within the Nordic region, and as an e-retailer you
the independent sustainability ratings provider EcoVadis, which are welcome to ask us about anything, from the markets in the
we consider to be a sign that we are on the right track. But we Nordic countries to distribution solutions.
want to become even better, and if we are to succeed, we must If you engage in e-commerce outside the Nordic region, you
continue working with our customers and suppliers. can also turn to our global logistics company Direct Link, which
In our code of conduct for suppliers, we require reasonable offers flexible distribution services to help e-retailers all over the
wages and working conditions for all employees, as well as a world to become established in new markets.
good, safe working environment. In this way, we want to help I hope this report will provide many new insights into
people to achieve a better life and be more protected in a crisis. e-commerce in Europe.
Finally, a few words about why we are publishing this report. Annemarie Gardshol
We at PostNord want to be the obvious choice for e-commerce President and Group CEO of PostNord
E-commerce in Europe 2020 3
Overview
European
e-commerce market
UK SWEDEN
48.6 7.5
million consumers million consumers
shop online shop online
95% 96%
Percentage of the Percentage of the
population (15–79 years) population (15–79 years)
that shops online that shops online
EUR 1,020 EUR 1,012
Estimated average spend Estimated average spend
per person per year per person per year
BELGIUM DENMARK
7.5 Percentages and values
refer to the entire population aged
between 15 and 79 years.
4.0
million consumers million consumers
shop online Question: Approximately how often do shop online
you buy goods online?
84% Comprises all respondents minus those
who responded “Never,” “Unsure,”
88%
Percentage of the or “Don’t know.” Percentage of the
population (15–79 years) population (15–79 years)
The figures on the map refer to those
that shops online that shops online
who have shopped online in the past year.
EUR 571 The same methods have been used
in previous reports, with the exception
of the calculation of internet
EUR 850
Estimated average spend Estimated average spend
per person per year penetration. per person per year
NETHERLANDS POLAND GERMANY NORWAY
13.1 25.4 61.2 3.9
million consumers million consumers million consumers million consumers
shop online shop online shop online shop online
95% 83% 92% 94%
Percentage of the Percentage of the Percentage of the Percentage of the
population (15–79 years) population (15–79 years) population (15–79 years) population (15–79 years)
that shops online that shops online that shops online that shops online
EUR 929 EUR 456 EUR 947 EUR 635
Estimated average spend Estimated average spend Estimated average spend Estimated average spend
per person per year per person per year per person per year per person per year
ITALY SPAIN FRANCE FINLAND
39.3 33.4 45.4 4.1
million consumers million consumers million consumers million consumers
shop online shop online shop online shop online
82% 90% 89% 95%
Percentage of the Percentage of the Percentage of the Percentage of the
population (15–79 years) population (15–79 years) population (15–79 years) population (15–79 years)
that shops online that shops online that shops online that shops online
EUR 674 EUR 921 EUR 752 EUR 788
Estimated average spend Estimated average spend Estimated average spend Estimated average spend
per person per year per person per year per person per year per person per year
4 E-commerce in Europe 2020
Germany and the UK are Europe’s
strongest e-commerce markets
European e-commerce is becoming proportion of people who shop online has such as older people, have started to
increasingly mature, particularly as evi- increased during the year, but at a more shop online more often, with the coronavi-
denced by the nearly 15 percent increase modest pace – only a percentage point or rus pandemic as a major factor.
in average sales per person and year in so. This trend is likely because many Eu- Germany and the UK are the stron-
the countries surveyed in 2020, com- ropean countries have a digitally mature gest e-commerce markets in Europe. In
pared with 2019. More and more coun- population. Germany, 61 million consumers state that
tries are now approaching the top tier, However, changes have occurred in they have shopped online in the past
with online spending per person and year 2020, which may become apparent in the year, and the figure in the UK is 49 million.
of almost EUR 1,000. 2021 survey. In particular, it seems that Spain, Italy and France are also significant
The survey also shows that the previously reluctant consumer groups, e-commerce markets.
Number of e-commerce consumers and average online spend per year
Basis: Have shopped online
1,200%
Sweden UK
Germany
1,000
Spain France
Denmark Netherlands
800
Finland Italy
Average purchase online per year (EUR)
Belgium
600
Norway
Poland
400
200
0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70
Number of e-commerce consumers in millions
E-commerce in Europe 2020 5
Overview
E-commerce trends
in Europe and the Growth 2019 in the different regions of the world
Source: eMarketer, 2020
world in 2019
Globally, e-commerce sales totaled USD 3.535
Asia-Pacific region 25%
trillion in 2019. This corresponds to about 14 per-
cent of total retail sales worldwide (USD 25.038
trillion). Europe’s share of global e-commerce
was estimated at USD 349 billion in 2019, which
Middle East & Africa 21%
corresponds to about 10 percent.
Global e-commerce is estimated to have
grown by 21 percent in 20191. The Asia-Pacific
region increased most (25 percent), followed by
Latin America 21%
the Middle East and Africa (21 percent). In Europe,
e-commerce grew by 10.2 percent in Western
Europe and 14.5 percent in Eastern Europe. This Central and Eastern Europe 19%
means that Europe’s share of global e-commerce
sales is declining. The e-commerce market in
many European countries, especially in Western
Europe, is relatively mature, which explains the
North America 15%
lower growth.
Growth in 2020 will likely be significantly
higher – especially in mature markets that have
had the capacity to scale up their e-commerce in
Western Europe 10%
conjunction with increased demand during the
coronavirus pandemic.
1
Source: E-markets
The world 21%
6 E-commerce in Europe 2020
Outlook
E-commerce breaks
records, but don’t
forget sustainability
Carl-Fredrik Teder, retail analyst at
PostNord, and Olof Källgren,
e-commerce expert at Direct Link, give
five predictions from E-commerce in
Europe 2020.
Carl-Fredrik Teder. Olof Källgren.
1
role in developing e-com- e-commerce markets. “The report shows
merce in several Europe- Last year, sustainability a strong link
Pandemic driving an countries. Already in became a hot topic of
e-commerce the late 1990s, the com- discussion in relation
between concern
The effect of the pandem- pany had established a to Black Friday with a over the virus and
ic on European coun- presence in Germany, call for a backlash, to be the proportion of
tries has varied, and the which today has one named White Monday. consumers who
report shows a strong of the most mature Christmas shopping has shopped online
link between concern e-commerce markets also become a subject more often.”
over the virus and the in Europe. The strong for discussion. E-retailers
proportion of consumers growth of e-commerce in across Europe should Italian and Spanish con-
who shopped online more Italy and Spain in recent take into account the sumers also frequently
often. However, since we years can also be attribut- continued importance make cross-border pur-
only interviewed consum- ed in part to Amazon of sustainability issues chases, where purchas-
ers for this report, we have entering these countries for a growing number of es from China clearly
no actual data concern- in 2010 and 2011. Howev- consumers. dominate.
ing the magnitude of the er, Amazon is beginning
increase in e-commerce to experience compe-
in each country. However, tition in Europe from
4 5
PostNord’s Swedish market participants such Popularity of Demands for quick
E-barometer survey shows as Alibaba. In 2019, the cross-border online delivery vary
that Swedish e-commerce first physical AliExpress shopping varies Expectations regarding
grew by 49 percent store in Europe opened The popularity of mak- the maximum length
during the second quarter in Madrid. At this point, as ing online purchases time it may take for an
of 2020 compared with Amazon is establishing from sites abroad varies online purchase to arrive
the previous year. This a presence in Sweden, it greatly from country vary greatly. Consumers
figure even exceeds the will encounter a far more to country. Belgian in Poland, the Nether-
44 percent growth rate mature market than it is consumers make more lands and Germany place
in the US. Given that the used to. online purchases abroad significantly higher de-
shutdown in Sweden was than any other Euro- mands on quick deliver-
far less extensive than in peans. More than half ies than online shoppers
many other European
3 the population makes in most other European
countries, we may expect Sustainability remains cross-border purchases countries. In part, expec-
growth in other countries important at least once a quarter. tations in various mar-
to be at least as high. Although the coronavirus It is worth noting that kets may be infrastruc-
pandemic dominates this many Belgians regularly ture-related, but certain
report, we must keep in shop from sites in the strong e-retailers, such as
2 mind that sustainability Netherlands, which is by Amazon, have driven the
Amazon is facing continues to be an im- far the most popular for- trend and raised consum-
competition portant issue, especially eign country from which er expectations for quick
Amazon has played a key for consumers in mature to make purchases. delivery.
E-commerce in Europe 2020 7
E-commerce in Europe
293 million consumers have
shopped online in the past year
European e-commerce has grown that this trend will become more notice- reaching 220 million. This trend is likely
during the year, especially in the spring, able in next year’s report. Other advances due to the growth of cross-border
when entire countries shut down because also came about during the year. Internet e-commerce companies and the efforts
of the coronavirus pandemic and pres- infrastructure continues to be expand- made to promote the European retail
sure on e-commerce rose sharply. Given ed, and the higher bandwidth in the 5G market, such as the EU Digital Single
the number of respondents in the report network will further facilitate e-commerce Market project2.
who state that they shopped online more using mobile phones and tablets. Total e-commerce in the countries
often during the pandemic, many coun- In the countries surveyed, 293 million surveyed amounts to EUR 269 billion, an
tries seem to have made major strides consumers have shopped online this increase of 12 percent over last year. As
toward digitalization. year, compared with 286 million last year. in previous years, Germany remains the
However, the effect of the pandemic on- Furthermore, the proportion of Euro- largest e-commerce market, followed by
ly related to a small part of the measure- pean consumers who made cross-border the UK. The third largest is France, closely
ment period in this survey, and it is likely online purchases increased somewhat, followed by Spain and Italy.
2
https://ec.europa.eu/digital-single-market/en/policies/shaping-digital-single-market
293 million consumers in
Europe shop online
269 EUR billion – the total that European
consumers estimate that
they spent online in the past year
220
million European consumers
make online purchases from abroad
8 E-commerce in Europe 2020
UK NETHERLANDS
52.4 12.8
BELGIUM
5.0
€
How much do POLAND
13.9
you estimate you
have spent on goods
online in the
past year?
GERMANY
62.8
ITALY
32.4
Number of EUR
billion that European
consumers have spent
online over the past year
Basis: Have shopped online
FRANCE
38.3
SPAIN
34.1
NORDIC REGION
17.8
E-commerce
E-commerce in
in Europe
Europe 2020
2019 9
E-commerce in Europe
Top product categories among European
online shoppers
(million consumers)
40
40
35
33
30 29
26 25
25
21 22 22 21 20
20
20
16 16 15
15 13 13
11
10 8 9 8 8
6 5 6
5 4 3 2
0
UK Belgium Netherlands Italy Poland Spain Germany France Nordic region
Clothing and footwear Home electronics Books/audiobooks
40
35
30
25
19 20 19
20 18
15 16 15 16
15 14
12 11 10 11
10 9
10 8 8 7 7
5 4 4 4 4 5
2 2 2
0
UK Belgium Netherlands Italy Poland Spain Germany France Nordic region
Cosmetics, skin and hair care Home furnishings Sports and leisure products
40
35
30
25
22
20
15
12 13
11 10 10 11 13 11 12
10 9 8 8 8 9
6 7
5 5
5 3 3 3 2 3
1 1 1
0
UK Belgium Netherlands Italy Poland Spain Germany France Nordic region
Children’s items Toys Food
40
35
30
25
20 19
15 13 13
11
10 9 8 8 9 9 8 8
6 7 7 6 7 7
5 3 4 3 4
1 1 1 2 2 2
0
UK Belgium Netherlands Italy Poland Spain Germany France Nordic region
Movies Car accessories Dietary supplements and similar
Number of consumers in millions who have shopped online in each category over the past year.
Question: What types of products have you bought online in the past year? Basis: Have shopped online.
More extensive information about the Nordics can be found in the detailed results at the end of the report.
10 E-commerce in Europe 2020International retailing
Finland
4.0
Sweden
5.9
France UK
32.4 32.6
Belgium
6.2
Netherlands
9.9
Italy
32.1
Germany
45.9
Norway
3.4
Poland Denmark
Spain
18.0 3.4
220
26.2
million people made cross-border online purchases
Number of consumers in millions in each country who made cross-border online purchases
Basis: Entire population, aged 15–79 years
E-commerce in Europe 2020 11COVID-19
Strong correlation between coronavirus anxiety and e-commerce sales
Basis: Have shopped online
100
90
Spain
Italy
80
70 France Belgium
UK
Experiencing anxiety over the coronavirus
Finland
60
Netherlands
Sweden Poland
50
Germany
Norway
40
Denmark
30
20
10
0
0 10 20 30 40 50
Have shopped online more often due to the coronavirus
COVID-19 driver of e-commerce
in Europe
In this year’s survey, e-commerce consum- a strict lockdown but nevertheless saw a
ers answered questions about how COVID-19 significant increase in e-commerce and was
had affected them personally, and whether home to relatively many worried respon-
the pandemic had caused them to change dents. Meanwhile, Norway and Denmark –
their e-commerce habits. The trend is clear. In which imposed lockdowns – saw only a small
countries where many people said they were increase in e-commerce, and respondents
worried about the pandemic, the proportion expressed a lower level of anxiety.
of respondents stating that they shopped on- Another aspect that may affect e-commerce
line more than usual was also greatest. This in the future is that several countries that were
trend coincides with the magnitude of dis- previously among the least digitalized in Eu-
ease outbreak, topped by hard-hit countries rope – such as Spain and Italy – now top the list
such as Italy, Spain and Belgium. in number of people doing more online shop-
But it is linked not only to the virus out- ping due to the pandemic. It is likely that many
break itself, but rather to how consumers people in these countries changed their habits
personally view the current situation. One in response to the social distancing measures
example is Sweden, which did not impose imposed and have embraced e-commerce.
12 E-commerce in Europe 2020COVID-19
Increased e-commerce
due to coronavirus
pandemic
Percentage of respondents who
shopped online more often due to the
coronavirus pandemic
Basis: Have shopped online
50%
45%
44%
41%
40%
37%
35%
33% 33%
30% 30% 29%
27% 26%
25% 25%
22%
20%
19%
15%
10%
5%
0%
Spain Belgium Italy Netherlands Poland UK Germany France Sweden Finland Norway Denmark
E-commerce in Europe 2020 13International retailing
2
3 1
80
Countries from which
70 Europeans have
shopped online
The diagram shows how many
Europeans have shopped online
China, the UK and the
60 from each country.
Basis: Have made cross-border
online purchases.
2014 2020 US top the list for cross-
50
border online shopping
From which Regarding cross-border online shopping, China was
40 countries most popular in the survey once again. The UK came
have you bought in second place, followed by the US in third.
products
online?
30
20
10
0
CHINA
UK
USA
GERMANY
NORDIC REGION
FRANCE
NETHERLANDS
REST OF EUROPE
SPAIN
JAPAN
ITALY
REST OF ASIA
CANADA
INDIA
AUSTRALIA
ICELAND
RUSSIA
REST OF NORTH AND CENTRAL AMERICA
COUNTRIES IN SOUTH AMERICA
COUNTRIES IN AFRICA
14 E-commerce in Europe 2019International retailing
Percentage of shoppers who bought groceries online during the
coronavirus pandemic who did not do so previously
Basis: Have shopped online
35%
30%
30%
25%
22%
20% 20%
20%
15% 14% 14%
11%
10% 10% 10% 10%
10% 9%
5%
0%
Spain France UK Italy Sweden Denmark Finland Poland Netherlands Germany Belgium Norway
Coronavirus
pandemic drives
online grocery
shopping
The coronavirus pandemic has affected the
world in many ways, and e-commerce is no ex-
ception. As described previously, many consum-
ers have done more online shopping since the
outbreak of the virus. They also shop for different
types of products.
The product categories that respondents state
that they bought online most because of the pan-
demic include fashion, groceries and pharmacy
goods. While online shopping for fashion has
always been very popular, groceries and phar-
macy goods are two notable newcomers. Food
in particular has very high sales figures in certain
countries. In Spain, as many as 30 percent say
they shopped online for groceries because of the
pandemic, followed by France (22 percent), the
UK (20 percent), and Italy (20 percent). The com-
mon denominator for these countries is that they
were hit relatively hard by the pandemic.
Online shopping for basic goods and essential
products, such as groceries and pharmacy prod-
ucts, has increased in the hardest hit countries,
while consumers in less hard-hit countries have
shopped online for other types of goods, such
as fashion.
E-commerce in Europe 2019 15Eastern and Western Europe
E-commerce has matured in Western Europe
and is still growing in Eastern Europe
Europe is a continent with significant variation, es- Commission’s Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI),
pecially between north and south, as well as east and which measures the degree of digitalization in various
west. In the latter case, there is a historical background. countries. Meanwhile, there are significant differences
In Western Europe, large-scale expansion of the internet among the Eastern European countries. For example, the
was already underway in the early 1990s. But in the poor- Baltic states clearly rank above the EU average with re-
er Eastern European countries, which belonged to the spect to digitalization. The Czech Republic is roughly on a
Soviet bloc until the early 1990s, this expansion generally par with the average, while most other Eastern European
took longer. As a result, there is a lower degree of digitali- countries occupy a lower tier.
zation, along with less e-commerce. To close the gap, the One of the largest e-commerce markets in the area
Eastern European e-commerce market has had a higher that is usually considered Eastern Europe is Poland. An-
growth rate in recent years. other potential difference between West and East emerg-
Western Europe is characterized by developed digital es here: people are more interested in shopping locally,
behaviors and relatively mature e-commerce markets, and especially in their own language. In Poland, the Alle-
where values such as sustainable deliveries and origin gro marketplace has withstood the pressure from foreign
marking have become increasingly important in recent e-commerce giants and holds a dominant position in the
years. Eastern Europe is growing more quickly, but market. As many as 90 percent of Polish e-commerce
started from a lower level. Countries in the east gen- consumers in the survey state that they shopped at Alle-
erally have lower, but rising, rankings in the European gro at some point during the year.
“Western Europe is
characterized by developed
digital behaviors and relatively
mature e-commerce markets,
where values such as
sustainable deliveries and
origin marking have
become more important
in recent years.”
16 E-commerce in Europe 2020Eastern and Western Europe
“Eastern Europe is
growing more quickly,
but started from a lower level.
Countries in the east generally have
lower, but rising, rankings in the
European Commission’s
Digital Economy and Society
Index (DESI), which measures
the degree of digitalization
in various countries.”
Proportion that shopped online from a marketplace during the year
Wish, Zalando, Amazon, Ebay, Etzy, Alibaba/Aliexpress, JD.com and Allegro
Basis: Have shopped online
100% 97% 97% 95% 95% 94%
90% 89%
80%
76%
71% 69%
70% 68%
61%
60%
56%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
UK Italy Spain Germany Poland France Belgium Netherlands Norway Denmark Finland Sweden
E-commerce in Europe 2020 17Marketplaces
Amazon and Zalando: two
dominant marketplaces in Europe
Europe has generally lagged slightly three groups, based on whether shoppers
behind the US in growth of online mar- prefer Amazon, Zalando, or both. There
ketplaces. This is not so strange since is an Amazon-dominant group (UK), a
the original – Amazon – is a US-based Zalando-dominant group (the Nether-
phenomenon that now dominates Amer- lands, Nordic countries and Belgium), and
ican e-commerce. Amazon established a a marketplace-dominant group (Spain,
presence in key European markets early Germany, France and Italy).
on, but its success in Europe has varied. It is also clear that Zalando generally
At the same time, German Zalando has has a more even presence in the sur-
grown to become a European market- veyed countries than Amazon. In most
place for fashion, sports and beauty, and countries, 30–45 percent of respondents
now has a presence in many countries. state that they shopped online at Zalando
Survey respondents specified the (with the exception of the UK). For Ama-
marketplaces where they shopped online, zon, the corresponding figure is 80–90
which reveals an interesting pattern. The percent in a few (large) countries, but con-
surveyed countries can be divided into siderably lower in other countries. On which of the
following e-commerce
sites have you
shopped in the past
year (Amazon and/or
Zalando)?
Amazon vs. Zalando in Europe
Basis: Have shopped online
100
Italy
90
Spain
UK Germany
France
80
70
60
50
Percentage that shopped online at Amazon
Belgium
40
30
Denmark Netherlands
Finland
20
Norway
Poland
10 Sweden
0
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50
Percentage that shopped online at Zalando
18 E-commerce in Europe 2020Marketplaces
36.2
6.5
Turnover 2019 (USD billion) Amazon in Europe Zalando Source: Annual report for each company
Fashion is a challenge for Amazon
The two marketplaces Amazon and European consumption is also not entirely Zalando’s model may possibly have
Zalando both have a strong position in comparable with US consumption. Zalando highlighted weaknesses in the strategy
Europe. In terms of turnover, Amazon is takes a different approach than Amazon by that has made Amazon so dominant in
significantly larger than Zalando, which focusing on the premium market, while fre- US e-commerce. Zalando’s success fac-
mainly focuses on fashion. Yet, Zalando has quently collaborating with strong brands. tors – an inspiring website with high-qual-
made an impressive inroad, considering For example, the Nike brand left Amazon at ity images and design, combined with
its competition from a global platform with the beginning of the year, but continues to large-scale and efficient logistics – could
such strong economic muscles. sell its collections on Zalando. conceivably gain a foothold in oth-
But fashion is Amazon’s weak spot. Here, Nike is in the company of other er industries where customers value
Forbes describes 3 how Amazon has premium brands, and in recent years even inspiration, such as interior design or
also been weak in fashion in the US, purely luxury brands – which are usually beauty. Should more industries move in
where it has had a hard time holding its highly restrictive concerning with whom the same direction, Amazon may face a
own against the European competition. they choose to partner. growing challenge.
30%
28% 28%
Market shares for Amazon and Zalando
Estimates by HUI Research based on public data available.
May also include cross-border purchases from each marketplace.
Amazon’s share of online commerce Zalando’s share of online commerce
20%
15%
12% 12%
11% 11% 11%
10%
10% 9% 9%
8%
7% 7%
6% 6%
4%
0.5%
0%
Germany Netherlands UK Italy Spain France Poland Belgium Denmark Finland Norway Sweden
3
https://www.forbes.com/sites/victoriapavlova/2019/02/09/the-amazon-effect-how-amazon-is-disrupting-european-e-commerce/#15b4ef55e7bc
E-commerce in Europe 2020 19Deliveries
Consumers accept
longer delivery times during
the pandemic
Many factors affect delivery times with previous years, demands are lower, E-commerce consumer expectations
for goods purchased online. Some are probably since e-commerce and delivery of delivery time
Basis: Have shopped online
bulky and more difficult to transport times in many countries came under
than others. Some goods are kept in heavy pressure because of the corona-
stock, others are not. Some goods are virus pandemic, a reason which many When you buy a
product online, what
subject to regulations that the carrier consumers can understand. are your expectations as
must observe. At the same time, willingness to pay to delivery time? What
Today, consumers in most Europe- for extra-fast deliveries is lukewarm is the maximum number
of days it may take to
an countries have high expectations throughout Europe, probably because have your product
regarding delivery time. A large group fast and inexpensive deliveries have be- delivered?
in all countries surveyed feels that the come standard as e-commerce has ma-
maximum delivery time should be about tured, and large companies with good
three days, with some being reluctant to logistics, such as Amazon and Zalando, 1–2 3–5 6+ Don’t
wait more than two days. But compared have entered the markets. days days days know
71%
66%
62%
57%
29%
22%
19%
11% 13% 12% 11% 13%
4% 4% 3% 2%
UK Belgium Netherlands Italy
75%
67%
61% 60%
28%
25%
21%
16% 14%
10% 9%
5% 3% 3%
2% 1%
Poland Spain Germany France
68% 67%
64%
61%
30% 28%
16% 18%
11% 11%
5% 6% 4% 4%
2% 3%
Sweden Denmark Norway Finland
20 E-commerce in Europe 2020Deliveries
When you
order a product
online, how do you
prefer to have it
delivered?
Preferred methods of delivery
Basis: Have shopped online
Home delivery in
daytime
64% 45% 51% 70% 35% 38% 41% 25% 4% 38% 6% 7%
Delivered to my
mailbox/multi-
occupancy mailbox
11% 23% 17% 9% 4% 12% 36% 42% 39% 0% 52% 14%
by the mail carrier
Collect the product
myself from a 2% 10% 12% 4% 6% 6% 2% 19% 37% 24% 14% 33%
distribution point
Home delivery in
evening
11% 8% 14% 6% 7% 29% 8% 5% 4% 11% 6% 4%
Collect the product
myself from a parcel 1% 1% 0% 3% 38% 2% 5% 2% 2% 20% 1% 35%
machine
Delivery to workplace 3% 3% 2% 4% 2% 5% 2% 1% 0% 2% 0% 1%
Pick up at the online
store’s physical store
1% 2% 1% 1% 2% 3% 1% 1% 2% 0% 13% 2%
UK Belgium Netherlands Italy Poland Spain Germany France Sweden Denmark Norway Finland
E-commerce in Europe 2020 21Deliveries
How important
are the following
Speed and freedom of choice most
factors regarding
delivery in your
important for delivery
decision to buy goods Fast delivery Option to choose when delivery will occur.
from an online Being able to choose the place for delivery
70%
store? Basis: Have shopped online
62%
61%
60%
57%
56%
52%
50% 50% 49%
50% 48% 49%
44%
43%
41%
40% 40%
40% 38% 39%
37% 37%
35% 35% 35%
30%
30%
26% 27%
25% 24%
22% 23% 22%
20% 20% 19% 19%
20% 18% 18%
10%
0%
Netherlands
Denmark
Germany
Belgium
Sweden
Norway
Finland
Poland
France
Spain
Italy
UK
22 E-commerce in Europe 2020Deliveries
Are you Pay for faster delivery
willing to pay for
Percentage who answered yes.
faster delivery
Basis: Have shopped online.
(next day)?
2020 2019
70%
60%
50%
44% 43%
41%
40%
37% 36%
35% 35%
30% 31%
30% 29%
26% 26%
23% 24% 23%
22% 21% 21% 21% 21% 21% 20%
20% 19%
16%
10%
0%
Netherlands
Denmark
Germany
Belgium
Sweden
Norway
Finland
Poland
France
Spain
Italy
UK
Are you Pay extra for more
willing to pay extra eco-friendly delivery
for more eco-friendly Percentage who answered yes.
delivery? Basis: Have shopped online.
70%
60%
50%
42%
40% 37%
36%
32% 31%
29%
30% 27%
26%
24% 23% 23% 22%
20%
10%
0%
Netherlands
Denmark
Germany
Belgium
Sweden
Norway
Finland
Poland
France
Spain
Italy
UK
E-commerce in Europe 2020 23Mobile e-commerce
More and more people shop online using
mobile phones in Europe
Percentage who have responded “at least once” How often
Basis: Have shopped online have you used your
2020 2019 mobile phone or tablet
European average 2020: 75% European average 2019: 65% to shop online in the
90%
* In 2019, only weighted figures were presented for the Nordic region last year?
83% 83%
80% 79% 78%
76% 77% 77%
75% 75%
72% 71%
70% 69%
66% 66% 66% 66% 67%
65% 65%
62% 61% 60%
60% 58%
54%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Netherlands
Netherlands
Denmark
Germany
Belgium
Sweden
Norway
Finland
Poland
France
Spain
Italy
UK
Europeans have become
accustomed to using their
mobile phones to shop
In just one year mobile e-commerce the underdeveloped digital infrastructure,
has surged considerably. This year’s where it is easier to use a mobile phone
survey shows that about three of four than fixed networks in some places, has
e-commerce consumers have used their likely accelerated the trend.
mobile phones to shop online. The survey Another factor may be that those
covers the early months of the corona- groups who shop online differ in the differ-
virus outbreak, and it is conceivable that ent countries. For example, in the UK, the
the increase may be linked in part to the proportion of people who use their mobile
general increase in e-commerce at that phones to shop online is relatively low,
time. Another likely reason is that use of but this may be because a large part of
mobile phones to shop online is no longer the population shops online – including a
confined to young consumers. greater number of older people with more
Shopping by mobile phone is common conservative habits. Meanwhile, in Italy,
in all countries surveyed, but especially in younger people are more likely to shop
Italy, Spain and Sweden. In Spain and Italy, online, as are digitally savvy people in cities.
24 E-commerce in Europe 2020Payment method
More payment solutions
improve business
As digitalization expands, so too have the number of payment
options. Credit/debit cards and invoices remain popular in many
countries, but there are now also digital payment solutions.
One such solution is PayPal, which is one of the top three
payment solutions in all countries surveyed. PayPal’s success is
based on consumers using their own bank information to create
a personal PayPal account, which is then linked to an existing
e-mail account. By linking the service to the already widespread
use of e-mail, Paypal quickly gained popularity among many
consumers at an early stage.
Today PayPal is one of the world’s largest financial technol-
ogy companies, though it has recently begun to encounter
competition. Banks and finance companies have partnered to
create payment apps for mobile phones, which are becoming
increasingly popular. These services go by different names in
different countries (for example, Swish, Mobile Pay and Vipps),
but are basically the same. At first, some of these services were
mainly used to transfer money between private individuals. But
in recent years, they have also become increasingly common
for commercial payments.
Which of the
following methods do
you prefer to use when
paying for a product
you have bought
online?
Most popular online payment methods
Basis: Have shopped online
Debit card or credit
card
51% 54% 23% 37% 24% 51% 19% 57% 28% 55% 37% 29%
Invoice 0% 3% 9% 1% 1% 1% 21% 1% 30% 4% 20% 20%
Direct payment
through my bank
1% 5% 12% 1% 27% 2% 6% 2% 13% 3% 6% 22%
PayPal or similar 44% 23% 22% 54% 25% 41% 48% 34% 14% 16% 21% 23%
Cash on Delivery 1% 2% 2% 3% 12% 3% 2% 2% 1% 0% 1% 1%
Payment
by installments
0% 0% 1% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 1% 1% 2%
Mobile app
(e.g. Swish, MobilePay, 0% 11% 21% 1% 8% 1% 2% 1% 10% 18% 11% 2%
Vipps)
Other/Don’t know 2% 1% 10% 3% 2% 1% 2% 3% 4% 3% 3% 2%
UK Belgium Netherlands Italy Poland Spain Germany France Sweden Denmark Norway Finland
E-commerce in Europe 2020 25“Online grocery
shoppingin
the UK has reached
a turning point”
TIM STEINER, OCADOS
FOUNDER AND CEO
UK: the world’s third largest
e-commerce market
The UK has long been a pioneer in e-commerce. e-commerce is the capability for same-day deliv-
In terms of turnover, the country has the third ery, even within four hours, which many people
largest e-commerce market in the world, topped find to be far more convenient than visiting phys-
only by China and the US. Among British survey ical stores. In the spring of 2020, the UK became
respondents, 95 percent state that they shopped the first country outside the US in which Amazon
online, which is one of the highest rates in Eu- launched Amazon Shipping, the company’s own
rope. One driver of strong consumer interest in delivery service.
Average for Europe
Key indicators compared with average for Europe
Percentage who shopped online more often due to coronavirus
30%
Average purchase per year (EUR)
EUR 1,020
Percentage of e-commerce consumers abroad
63%
Percentage of e-commerce consumers
95%
Internet penetration
97%
26 E-commerce in Europe 2020Spotlight on: UK
11%
11%
Coronavirus situation 64%
in the UK
On March 23, the UK imposed a lockdown in re-
Top three preferred delivery methods
sponse to the COVID-19 outbreak – several days after
How do you prefer to have your product delivered
many other European countries. With the exception when you shop online?
of grocery stores and pharmacies, all stores were Basis: Have shopped online
closed. Despite the lateness of the lockdown, the UK Home delivery in daytime In mailbox Home delivery in evening
has fared better economically than the EU average.
The country’s GDP fell by 2 percent during the first
quarter of 2020 compared with the fourth quarter of Top three international marketplaces
2019. One explanation is that the country’s mature From which of the following e-commerce sites have
you shopped online in the past year?
e-commerce enabled a rapid increase in capacity Basis: Have shopped online
during the period, and almost one third of British
consumers stated that they shop online more often
91% 63% 11%
as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. In concrete
terms, this means that almost 20 million of the 50
million e-commerce consumers in the UK have be-
gun to shop online more often. Amazon eBay Wish
Marketplaces
One strong driving force behind the UK’s mature Most commonly bought
65%
e-commerce market is the early entry of the US
products online
e-commerce behemoths into the market. Amazon Percentage of e-commerce consumers
began sales in the country under a local domain 55%
68% who have made purchases from each respective
as early as the 1990s. Today, there are also several product category over the past year.
strong domestic market participants, which, in light
45%
of Brexit, seem to be gaining in popularity, including
ASOS, Argos and Next.
35% 46% 45%
43%
39%
European leader in online 25%
grocery shopping 30%
15%
In recent years, the UK has emerged as Europe’s 23% 22%
brightest star in the online grocery shopping seg-
0%
ment. Clearly, the coronavirus pandemic has pushed
the trend even further. As many as 45 percent of
Clothing and footwear
Books and audiobooks
Groceries
Home electronics
Cosmetics and skincare
Home furnishings
Movies
Toys
British consumers state that they have shopped
for groceries online this year, representing a sharp
increase compared with 31 percent last year.
One contributing factor is likely that shopping for
groceries online was already sufficiently well estab-
lished so as to allow retailers to quickly scale up to
meet the increased demand during lockdown.
E-commerce in Europe 2020 27“We don’t want
to copy Amazon,
because we wouldn’t
have a chance.
We stand out.”
MICHAEL OTTO, CHAIRMAN
OF THE BOARD OF THE
OTTO GROUP 1
Germany: still good growth
potential for e-commerce
Germany has a relatively mature and well- The marketplaces seem to gaining in strength
developed e-commerce market. As many as in the country, and the domestic Otto Group was
92 percent of Germans in the survey state that among those that increased investments in
they have shopped online. e-commerce in 2019. The major competitor is
Given Germany’s strong purchasing power, and Amazon, and Otto has invested in a collaboration
the fact that the country has the largest population with Google to develop voice assistant technology2
in Europe (83 million), there is still good growth for its e-commerce site that challenges Amazon’s
potential for e-commerce. investment in voice-activated e-commerce.
Average for Europe
Key indicators compared with average for Europe
Percentage who shopped online more often due to coronavirus
29%
Average purchase per year (EUR)
EUR 947
Percentage of e-commerce consumers abroad
69%
Percentage of e-commerce consumers
92%
Internet penetration
95%
28 E-commerce in Europe 2020Spotlight on: Germany
8%
41%
Coronavirus situation in
Germany
Germany’s GDP fell by 2.2 percent between the 36%
fourth quarter of 2019 and first quarter of 2020.
Economically, this indicates that so far, Germany
has coped with the pandemic better than many
other European countries. The government first
imposed restrictions in the country on March 13, Top three preferred delivery methods
followed by a nationwide lockdown on March 23, How do you prefer to have your product
when many shops, malls and shopping centers were delivered when you shop online?
closed.E-commerce benefited from these develop- Basis: Have shopped online
Home delivery in daytime In mailbox Home delivery in evening
ments, which is also reflected in the statistics.
As many as 29 percent of consumers state that
they shop online more often as a result of the
pandemic.
Top three international marketplaces
From which of the following e-commerce sites have
you shopped online in the past year?
Basis: Have shopped online
Marketplaces
88% 56% 31%
Amazon launched a domain in Germany early on
(just like in the UK). One estimate shows that the
company currently has about 28 percent of the
country’s total e-commerce, making Germany Amazon eBay Zalando
Amazon’s largest market in Europe. Other estab-
lished market participants include eBay and
domestic Otto. In fashion, there are also strong
domestic marketplaces, and 65 percent of German
65%
consumers have shopped online in this segment in Most commonly bought
the past year. The leader in fashion is Zalando, which products online
accounts for eight percent of the country’s online 55% 65% Percentage of e-commerce consumers
fashion retailing, and also has significant sales who have made purchases from each respective
product category over the past year.
to other European countries.
45%
Potential for growth 35%
47% 46%
in social media 42%
25%
According to DESI, the European Commission’s 32% 32%
Digital Economy and Society Index, German compa- 30% 30%
nies could increase sales by increasing their expo- 15%
sure on social media, as only 23 percent of German
companies had a presence on social media in 2019.
Because social media is becoming an increasingly 0%
powerful driving force for e-commerce, both through
Clothing and footwear
Books and audiobooks
Pharmacy products
Home electronics
Home furnishings
Sports and leisure products
Cosmetics and skincare
Movies
influencers and through direct shopping services
(such as Instagram’s investment in e-commerce),
the channel is likely to grow in Germany in the
coming years.
1
To business insider
2
Otto.de, Pressrum, 2019
E-commerce in Europe 2020 29“The two key
markets of Germany
and France continue to
‘pose a challenge’
for ASOS.”
ASOS’ CEO
NICK BEIGHTON
France: Europe’s third largest
e-commerce market
France is the third largest e-commerce market in strong competition from global marketplaces and
Europe, and as many as 89 percent of French people domestic e-retailers.
in the survey state that they have shopped online. Competition rules and restrictions pose addi-
France also has a relatively large group of consum- tional complications. Amazon was among those
ers who state that they do not shop online, primarily affected by these rules and could only sell a limited
the elderly. But this year, the proportion in the 65–74 range in France during the coronavirus pandemic.
age group who shopped online increased, probably However, this is not unique to retailers; other online
as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. companies have also struggled with restrictions
In 2019, British fashion player ASOS stated that in France, such as Airbnb in tourism and Uber in
France is a challenging market2, partly because of transportation.
Average for Europe
Key indicators compared with average for Europe
Percentage who shopped online more often due to coronavirus
27%
Average purchase per year (EUR)
EUR 752
Percentage of e-commerce consumers abroad
64%
Percentage of e-commerce consumers
89%
Internet penetration
93%
30 E-commerce in Europe 2020Spotlight on: France
19%
42%
Coronavirus situation
in France 25%
France went into lockdown on March 17, and most
stores had already closed on March 14. The coun-
try’s lockdown has also been one of the strictest in Top three preferred delivery methods
Europe. Periodically, people were required to carry How do you prefer to have your product delivered
a form stating their reason for being outside their when you shop online?
homes. As a result of the shutdown, the country Basis: Have shopped online
In mailbox Home delivery in daytime Distribution point
experienced what may be the worst drop in GDP in
Europe, 5.8 percent lower in the first quarter of 2020
compared with the fourth quarter of 2019. Despite
an overall reduction in consumption, e-commerce
Top three international marketplaces
From which of the following e-commerce sites have
seems to have benefited, as 27 percent of consum- you shopped online in the past year?
ers state that they shopped online more often as a Basis: Have shopped online
result of the pandemic.
Marketplaces
Marketplaces are popular in France and account
82% 28% 25%
Amazon eBay Zalando
for about half of the country’s e-commerce sales
3
. The most popular is Amazon, which launched
a French domain back in 2000, followed by the
domestic marketplace Cdiscount. In May 2020, the
country’s leading supermarket group, Carrefour, also Most commonly bought
60%
transitioned from being an online store to become a products online
digital marketplace 4. Percentage of e-commerce consumers
50% who have made purchases from each respective
product category over the past year.
A few strong participants 40%
54%
dominate the market
30%
The French e-commerce market is dominated
by a few strong market participants that continue 36%
34% 34%
to expand and reach larger segments of the French 20% 32%
population. DESI, the European Commission’s Digital 27%
25%
Economy and Society Index, shows that less than 23%
10%
fifteen percent of the country’s small and medi-
um-sized retailers engaged in some form of e-com-
merce, while 45 percent of the larger companies did 0%
so. It is therefore conceivable that smaller e-retailers
Clothing and footwear
Home electronics
Sports and leisure products
Books and audiobooks
Cosmetics and skincare
Groceries
Home furnishings
Toys
who focus on niche sales, have good e-commerce
solutions and profile themselves well could reach a
relatively underdeveloped market segment.
2
.se, March Omniekonomi 2020.
3
Statista, 2020.
4
Carrefour.com, May 2020.
E-commerce in Europe 2020 31AMAZON
IS SPAIN’S MOST
VISITED
MARKETPLACE
Spain: one of the fastest growing
markets in Europe
The Spanish e-commerce market is one of the stores abroad, especially Chinese stores. As many
fastest growing in Europe, and according to the as 40 percent state that they shopped online from
survey, 90 percent of the population shops online. that country in the past year, which is 11 percentage
DESI, the European Commission’s Digital Economy points higher than the average for Europe. Both
and Society Index, shows a lower percentage when Amazon and Asian competitor Alibaba appear to
e.g. the oldest age group (65+) is included. However, have noted the growing interest in cross-border
the percentage of consumers who shop online has online shopping. In 2019, Alibaba chose Spain as the
increased in both surveys. test market for its first physical AliExpress store in
Many Spaniards also make purchases in online Europe.
Average for Europe
Key indicators compared with average for Europe
Percentage who shopped online more often due to coronavirus
44%
Average purchase per year (EUR)
EUR 921
Percentage of e-commerce consumers abroad
71%
Percentage of e-commerce consumers
90%
Internet penetration
92%
32 E-commerce in Europe 2020Spotlight on: Spain
12%
38%
29%
Top three preferred delivery methods
How do you prefer to have your product delivered
Coronavirus situation when you shop online?
in Spain Basis: Have shopped online
Home delivery in daytime Home delivery in evening In mailbox
Spain was one of the first European countries to
be hit hard by the pandemic, and the country went
into lockdown as early as March 14. Since Spain is a
Top three international marketplaces
From which of the following e-commerce sites have
growth market for e-commerce, the shutdown result- you shopped online in the past year?
ed in a sharp increase in e-commerce. A total of 44 Basis: Have shopped online
percent of Spanish consumers stated in the survey
that they shopped online more often during the
90% 45% 39%
coronavirus pandemic, which is the highest propor-
tion among all countries surveyed. Online grocery
shopping increased most.
Amazon Alibaba eBay
Marketplaces
Amazon is Spain’s most visited e-commerce
platform, even though the Spanish domain was not Most commonly bought
launched until 2011. Also, in early 2020, Amazon 65%
products online
launched its Business Prime in the Spanish market. Percentage of e-commerce
Alibaba’s marketplace AliExpress ranks second, and consumers who have made
55%
purchases from each respective
Spain is the only country in the survey to rank this 63% product category
market participant so high. No domestic e-retailer is 59% over the past
45%
included in the top three, although there are some year.
popular domestic market participants, such as el- 49%
corteingles.es. 35%
39%
25% 36%
Leading edge of 34%
social media 15%
29% 29%
Social media are popular in Spain, among both
consumers and businesses. According to DESI, the 0%
European Commission’s Digital Economy and So-
Clothing and footwear
Home electronics
Sports and leisure products
Books and audiobooks
Groceries
Cosmetics and skincare
Toys
Home furnishings
ciety Index, almost one third of companies have at
least two social media accounts where they market
their products and services. In 2019, more than 25
million people in Spain used social media 5. Domestic
Tiente is extremely popular, as is Facebook.
5
IAB Spain, 2019.
E-commerce in Europe 2020 33GREAT
POTENTIAL
IN A RAPIDLY
GROWING
MARKET
Italy: the percentage of the population
who shop online is still low
Although Italy has Europe’s fastest growing they have never used the internet. However, the mar-
e-commerce market, the share of the population that ket is clearly growing, and many market participants
shops online is still low. In all, 82 percent of Italians have are investing in the country. For example, Zalando
shopped online, and the figure is even lower in DESI, opened a warehouse near Verona in the spring of
the European Commission’s Digital Economy and So- 2020. Mobile coverage (4G) is also good, which means
ciety Index. The main reason may be that a significant that internet access is available in places where IT infra-
minority, representing twice the EU average, state that structure generally is not as well developed.
Average for Europe
Key indicators compared with average for Europe
Percentage who shopped online more often due to coronavirus
37%
Average purchase per year (EUR)
EUR 674
Percentage of e-commerce consumers abroad
67%
Percentage of e-commerce consumers
82%
Internet penetration
83%
34 E-commerce in Europe 2020You can also read
