Europe's e-commerce landscape showed a clear dominance of the clothing, footwear, and accessories category in 2024, with 70 per cent of online shoppers purchasing these items. This figure significantly surpasses multimedia products and streaming subscriptions, according to a recent report by Ecommerce Europe. The Eurostat-based survey also highlights, 31 per cent of consumers buy perfumes and cosmetics online, and 26 per cent purchase sports equipment.
The report offers insights into customer ordering habits, noting that a strong majority of Europeans place orders with domestic sellers. Cross-border shopping remains common, with 33 per cent of customers buying from other European countries. A notable 20 per cent of orders are placed with sellers based outside the EU - a figure being closely watched amid the expansion of non-European platforms like Shein and Temu.
Leaders at Ecommerce Europe are calling for urgent action on competitiveness and regulation. Luca Cassetti, Secretary General, states. while there's a shift in perspective on simplification, the urgency of the situation is unaddressed. Director general Christel Delberghe emphasized the need for consistent and rigorous enforcement across all Member States to ensure that all companies, domestic or foreign, meet the same obligations.
A technological gap persists between businesses of different sizes. Among large companies (over 250 employees), 46 per cent and 41 per cent report high and very high ‘digital intensity,’ respectively. In contrast, smaller and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) lag behind, with 40 per cent reporting low and 27 per cent reporting very low digital intensity.
Geographically, Western Europe (France, Germany, UK, Ireland, and Benelux) remains the powerhouse of European e-commerce, driving 64 per cent of B2C online sales in 2024. Southern Europe (Portugal, Spain, Italy, and Greece) holds the second spot with a 19 per cent share. In absolute figures for 2023, Western Europe generated €569 billion, followed by Southern Europe (€166 billion), and Central Europe (€79 billion). Northern Europe accounted for €56 billion, with Eastern Europe trailing at €17 billion.
