Hamburg, Germany -- (SBWire) -- 09/28/2011 --In its latest “Eastern Europe B2C E-Commerce Report 2011” Hamburg-based market research firm yStats.com presents data on trends, revenue figures and competitors in Eastern European B2C E-Commerce as well as internet users and online shoppers. The analysis covers the key markets of Russia, Ukraine, Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic and Slovakia. Furthermore, the report comprises information about Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Estonia, Greece, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Romania and Slovenia, thus featuring 17 countries in total.

In general, Eastern European B2C E-Commerce continues to grow steadily. The number of internet users and online shoppers continues to increase. However, differences can be observed. Russia lags behind when it comes to internet access, while countries such as Slovakia dominate mobile internet use.

High development potential in Russia
In 2010, only approximately 25 % of the Russian population had access to a broadband connection and only 8 million Russians had a fixed-line connection. Nonetheless, almost 40 % of the population used the internet, of which 60 % – 45 million – made online purchases. The retail structure is still underdeveloped in Russia, which is why E-Commerce has high development potential there. Less than 1 % of all retail revenue is generated in the B2C E-Commerce segment. According to the “Eastern Europe B2C E-Commerce Report 2011” by yStats.com “books” and “household appliances” as well as “CDs/DVDs” were the most popular categories; the most important competitors in Russian B2C E-Commerce are Utkonos.ru, Ozon.ru, Holodilnik.ru, Pleer.ru and MVideo. Key regions are Moscow and St. Petersburg, where more than 50 % of all Russian online revenue was generated in 2010. Additionally, so-called private shopping sites mark one of the main trends in Russian B2C E-Commerce. In this sector KupiVIP is successfully distributing designer fashion.

Growing popularity of online shopping in Ukraine
Despite obstacles such as long delivery times, online shopping continues to gain in popularity in Ukraine. The number of internet users in June 2011 increased from 9 million in the previous year to almost 13 million, of whom more than 50% use the internet for shopping. The most popular product categories include “household appliances” and “mobile phones”, and the leading competitors are Rozetka.com.ua, Bonprix.ua and Sokol.ua.

Double digit growth in Polish B2C E-Commerce
In 2010, as many as 24 million people used the internet in Poland, which is more than 60 % of the entire population. In line with this trend, Polish B2C E-Commerce has recorded double digit growth for many years, which can be mostly attributed to auction websites such as Allegro.pl. With its high market penetration Poland is ahead of other Eastern European countries such as Slovenia. In 2010, the most popular product categories were “clothing and sporting goods” and “household appliances” as well as “books”; the leading competitors include companies such as Allegro.pl, Neo24.pl, Electro.pl and Empik.com. The “Eastern Europe B2C E-Commerce Report 2011“ by yStats.com shows that mobile internet use continued to remain clearly below the EU average in 2010 with only 3 % of the population.

Growth despite obstacles in Hungarian B2C E-Commerce
The growth of Hungarian B2C E-Commerce is curbed by low internet penetration and few online payment options. The number of internet users reached in 2010 more than 6 million though, which is 60 % of the population. In total, less than 20 % of Hungarians made online purchases. The “Eastern Europe B2C E-Commerce Report 2011” by yStats.com shows clearly that B2C E-Commerce revenue increased from 2009 to 2010 and that further growth is expected for 2011. The most popular categories in 2010 were “books/magazines/e-learning resources” and “clothing, sporting goods” as well as “event tickets”; leading competitors include Bookline.hu, Edigital.hu and Libri.hu.

Strong growth in B2C E-Commerce in the Czech Republic
The number of adult internet users in the Czech Republic reached in 2010 more than 6 million, with 25 % of the population purchasing online. Sales in B2C E-Commerce experienced a double digit growth from 2009 to 2010, remained however below 5 % of retail revenue. The most popular categories in 2010 were according to the “Eastern Europe B2C E-Commerce Report 2011” by yStats.com “consumer electronics” and “household appliances”; the most successful competitors include Alza.cz, Kasa.cz and Mall.cz.

Slovakia dominates mobile internet use
Approximately 70 % of the population used the internet in 2010. Leading product categories in 2010 included “clothing/sporting goods” and “household articles”; leading competitors are Mall.sk, Alza.sk and Hej.sk. Furthermore, almost 10 % of all Slovaks used mobile internet, which is above the EU average.