The rapid growth of M-Commerce is a major trend for online retail markets around the world. Having already achieved more than a 50% share of online retail sales in China, M-Commerce is on the way to reaching this milestone in the UK and the USA within the next few years. While the mobile trend is overarching, there are also several market-specific trends in addition to the gradual turn to shopping from a mobile device.
One example is the click-and-collect service which is flourishing in the UK. Due to the fact that 4 out of 5 largest online merchants in this country are also leaders of store-based retail, they have the opportunity to offer an option of buying conveniently online and collecting the purchase in-store. More than two thirds of online shoppers have already used this service and at least half of those who have not yet done so planned to use it in the future. As a result, click-and-collect sales in the UK are projected to see a strong annual growth of above 10% through 2020.
In Europe’s second largest online market, and the fifth largest worldwide, Germany, a specific trend of buying from online shopping clubs has emerged and is gaining importance every year. Lured by attractive pricing and exclusive deals, online shoppers join websites like Amazon Buy VIP, Brands4friends, Limango, and Zalando Lounge, driving their cumulative revenues to rise at rates nearly double the average for B2C E-Commerce in this country.
An important trend specific to the Chinese market is the shift from C2C to B2C E-Commerce. 2015 was a milestone year in the history of online retail in China as B2C E-Commerce sales outpaced C2C E-Commerce and reached more than 50% of the market. This trend is likely to continue, as more businesses join China’s E-Commerce race.
To learn more about the world’s largest online retail markets, see our report “Top 5 Country B2C E-Commerce Sales Forecasts: 2016 to 2020”.
