Hamburg, Germany -- (SBWIRE) -- 12/12/2011 -- The highest overall B2C E-Commerce revenue in 2010 was reported in the UK, followed by Germany, France, Spain and Italy. Furthermore, the number of online shoppers in Europe is predicted to surpass 200 million by 2015. In terms of the share of internet users on the total population, Norway came in first, followed by the Netherlands, Denmark and Finland.

Germany has the highest number of internet users in Central Europe

By the end of 2010, Germany’s online population was the largest in the entire EU counting more than 50 million internet users. “Fashion and sporting goods” was the most popular B2C E-Commerce category, followed by the categories “Books, magazines and e-learning material” and “Film and music”. According to the “Europe B2C E-Commerce Report 2011” by yStats.com in 2011, almost three quarters of the population in Austria used the internet at home. Furthermore, differences regarding internet access between rural and urban areas are diminishing. In the category group shopping in Austria, Groupon.at and DailyDeal.at were leading in June 2011. In Switzerland, Amazon – followed by La Redoute and Weltbild – was the leading competitor in B2C E-Commerce in terms of unique visitor figures.

Fashion and travel arrangements - most popular categories in Western Europe

Online revenue for fashion items continues to increase in the UK, also due to the growing importance of social media. In 2010, almost half of all individuals aged 25-34 purchased products online in the category “clothes and sports goods”. The “Europe B2C E-Commerce Report 2011” by yStats.com shows that in France in the first quarter of 2011 eBay, Amazon, Cdiscount and PriceMinister were the leading competitors in B2C E-Commerce measured by internet traffic. In Belgium in May 2011, French retailer La Redoute ranked first measured by monthly unique visitor numbers, followed by 3 Suisses. Internet penetration is still relatively low in Spain and broadband access is less available than in most other Western European countries.

B2C E-Commerce still faces barriers in Eastern Europe

In Poland, the most popular product categories are “Clothes and sporting goods” and “Household goods”. When it comes to online revenue, Allegro.pl, Neo24.pl and Electro.pl top the ranking. In Russia, online food retailer Utkonos.ru generated the highest online revenue in 2010, followed by generalist Ozon.ru, which has built up its own delivery network. In the Czech Republic, almost two thirds of all online shoppers believe that shopping goods online is cheaper than at traditional outlets. Furthermore, the number of online shoppers and total spending continue to increase. The biggest hurdle in Czech E-Commerce is long delivery times. As shown in the yStats.com “Europe B2C E-Commerce Report 2011” the low internet penetration rate and limited online payment options curb growth in Hungary. There, the leading competitor in terms of unique visitor numbers is Bookline.hu, followed by Edigital.hu and Libri.hu. In Slovakia, in 2010 “Fashion and sporting goods” and “Household goods” were the most popular B2C E-Commerce categories.

Event tickets – popular category in Scandinavia

In Sweden, approximately 40 % of all individuals aged 25 to 34 purchased books and magazines online. As a result, online book retailer Adlibris was one of the most popular B2C E-Commerce competitors in 2010, followed by Cdon, Ellos and H & M. In Denmark, event tickets, accommodation and other travel arrangements rank among the leading product categories. Group shopping is another important trend – Groupon planned to launch a Danish site in September 2011. In Finland, goods accounted for less than half of all B2C E-Commerce revenue in 2010. In 2011, in Norway, more than 90 % of all households had access to the internet and frequency of mobile internet use continues to grow. In line with this trend, online shopping is gaining in popularity.

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