“Western Europe B2C E-Commerce Market 2018” is the title of a new report published by secondary market research company yStats.com headquartered in Hamburg, Germany. The publication cites online retail sales forecasts and other E-Commerce market statistics for Western Europe. The report also highlights the top emerging online shopping trends, including cross-border E-Commerce, voice commerce and omnichannel.
The UK is Western Europe’s largest market by B2C E-Commerce sales
B2C E-Commerce sales in Western Europe are expected to see steady growth over the forecast period and increase their share of the region’s overall retail sales to around one-fifth by 2023. The UK, Germany and France maintain the top 3 ranks in Western Europe by online retail sales in 2018, while smaller markets such as Spain show higher year-on-year growth rates, according to the yStats.com report. Besides being the largest, the B2C E-Commerce market in the UK is also one of the most advanced, with more than eight in ten individuals making purchases online.
Top B2C E-Commerce market trends in Western Europe
An increasing share of online retail sales in Western Europe is generated via mobile devices. The Nordics are among the leaders of the M-Commerce trend, fostered by the rise of mobile payment methods. Another major market development is cross-border E-Commerce. The percentage of digital buyers making purchases on foreign websites in 2018 is especially high in Ireland, Austria and Belgium. Among the new market trends is voice commerce. The value of online purchases made by voice command is projected to reach several billion Euros in the UK alone by 2022. Furthermore, omnichannel behaviours such as webrooming and showrooming continue to spread across Western Europe. Findings from Sweden reveal that consumers crossing multiple channels on their way to purchase are likely to spend more than single-channel buyers.
Amazon leads B2C E-Commerce competition in Western Europe
In terms of competition, Amazon holds the leading position in Western Europe’s largest online retail markets. In Germany alone Amazon’s market share is approaching 50%, when including both marketplace and direct-to-consumer sales, according to a recent estimate cited in the yStats.com report. The U.S.-based E-Commerce giant also outstrips local competitors in countries including Belgium, France, Italy, Spain, and the UK.
