Online retail in Europe is growing exponentially, particularly in Southern Europe. This is one of the many interesting findings of the European Ecommerce Report 2017, sponsored by Asendia.

With a growth rate of 15.43% in 2016 and a resulting ecommerce turnover of €550.58 billion in 2016, the impact of B2C ecommerce on the European economy has been increasing in the past years. This growth is expected to continue in the years to come, resulting in European ecommerce sales of €603bn in 2017, and €660bn in 2018.

Biggest online turnover is in western Europe

The United Kingdom, France and Germany are clearly the front runners in terms of ecommerce in Europe, as they account for almost 70% of all online turnover. The United Kingdom is leading in turnover, with a €197 billion B2C ecommerce market. However, some countries have higher percentages of consumers shopping online, namely Luxembourg (98%), Norway (98%), and Denmark (97%).

There is plenty room for growth

According to the report, 77% of enterprises have a website, but only 18% are selling online, leaving much room for improvement. Additionally, the report highlights the growth of ecommerce, as mobile devices are an up-and-coming medium in which consumers purchase online. For example, an average of 75% of Europeans have used their mobile device to purchase online within the last 6 months, with 25% of them purchasing 2-3 times a month.

The report also features Renaud Marlière - our Marketing and Sales Officer – exclusive insights on the European market and the importance of tracking.