B2C e-commerce sales boom in Europe – yStats

In Germany, B2C E-Commerce sales reached several tens of billions of euros in 2012 and showed double digit growth over 2011. As a share of total retail sales, B2C E-Commerce accounted for several percentage points less than 10% in 2012, and the share is expected to increase by one percentage point in 2013.

The most used payment methods for online shopping in Germany are invoice and PayPal, a contrast with many other European E-Commerce markets where bank cards are the most popular payment method. US based mass-merchant Amazon is the largest E-Commerce player, while the Germany based Otto Group continues expansion into domestic as well as international B2C E-Commerce. German online retailers benefit from popularity with shoppers in neighboring Austria.

Eastern Europe sees higher rate of growth in online sales                   

B2C E-Commerce in Russia grew by over a quarter in 2012, reaching a double digit figure in billions of euros. Further expansion in the online retail market is expected. Some product categories, such as household goods, cosmetics and auto parts have shown recent growth of over 50%.

The clothing segment, including such players as Lamoda and Kupivip, has attracted large investments from overseas as well as domestic investors. The largest online retailer, mass merchant Ozon, increased its sales by a high double digit figure above 50%.

The growth of the Russian B2C E-Commerce market has attracted the attention of foreign players, with Asos launching a local website and Amazon opening a local office in the Spring of 2013. In the Czech Republic, B2C E-Commerce sales are increasing with the expectation of reaching several billions of Euros in 2013.

Already over 40% of Internet users in the country shop online. In Slovenia, this share is even larger, as over 50% of Internet users are online shoppers. B2C E-Commerce in Hungary and Poland has increased its share on the total retail market, reaching several percentage points. In Turkey, E-Commerce sales reached a double digit figure above 10 billion Euros in 2012, after a significant two digit percentage growth rate.

yStats