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European e-shoppers make cross-border purchases

In 2016, 40 per cent of European e-shoppers purchased goods or services from a vendor located in an EU country different from theirs. There is still a significant growth margin, especially considering the high number of European small businesses and SMEs which sell internationally in France alone, the national e-commerce and distance selling federation FEVAD estimates that 55 per cent of them presently do.

In terms of cross-border purchases the Spanish market has 58 per cent of local e-shoppers spent money abroad last year. A practice, which is popular in Italy too, with 47 per cent of consumers going cross-border. On the other hand, the huge German market, home to many European e-tail leaders, has a different approach, with only 26 per cent of consumers going cross-border. As for the UK, the largest e-market in Europe, its figure is consistent with the European average, at 40 per cent.

In 2016 the European e-tail market was worth €530 billion, and UK e-tailers were with €174 billion, a figure which is expected to come close to €200 billion in 2017. Germany follows the UK at a distance, with an e-tail market worth €77.9 billion, and France is third with €72 billion.

At the end of 2015, only 7.5 per cent of Eurozone e-tailers were selling abroad. According to FEVAD, 68 per cent of leading websites are now retailing internationally. In early 2017, a report compiled by e-commerce market researcher yStats revealed that more than 50 per cent of online shoppers worldwide make transactions via e-tailers located in a country different from theirs.

EU for a long time has worked on harmonising community regulations regarding e-commerce. Initially, the regulators had to deal with the free-returns policy adopted universally in Germany, which the country's e-tailers are keen to preserve. At present they are faced with another huge challenge in the form of Brexit, with its as yet undefined impact on transaction duties.

 
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