E-commerce in Europe 2021 - PostNord
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E-commerce 2021 in Europe
2
POSTNORD • E-COMMERCE IN EUROPE 2021
Contents
About this report 4
Foreword5
Overview6-9
The Pandemic 14-15
E-commerce in Europe 10-13
International retailing 16
Sustainability 17-18
Marketplaces 19-21
Deliveries22-25
Spotlight on Belgium28-29
Spotlight on Denmark30-31
Spotlight on Finland32-33 POSTNORD • E-COMMERCE IN EUROPE 2021
Spotlight on France34-35
Spotlight on Germany36-37
Spotlight on Italy38-39
Spotlight on The Netherlands40-41
Spotlight on Norway42-43
Spotlight on Poland44-45
Spotlight on Spain46-47
Spotlight on Sweden48-49
Spotlight on United Kingdom50-51
3
Finland
Number of respondents 1043
in each country Norway
1068
Sweden
1041
Denmark
1129
United The Netherlands
Kingdom
1045 Poland
1034 Germany 1033
Belgium 1048
1092
France
1117
Italy
1057
Spain
1042
About this report
ostNord has For most of the interviews, the online. This means that services (e.g.
studied the Eu- number of respondents was around travel, hotel and tickets), as well as
P ropean e-com-
merce market in
the E-commerce
1,000. The interviews were conduct-
ed by the research company Nepa.
Since the survey was conducted
downloads (e.g. music, movies and
apps), are not included. PostNord
also publishes the E-barometer
POSTNORD • E-COMMERCE IN EUROPE 2021
in Europe report online, the responses were recal- survey in Sweden. It is based on a
since 2014. The culated based on the percentage different methodology, which is why
report is based on interviews with a of the population in each country it is not fully comparable with this
total of about 12,000 consumers in that used the internet in 2020–2021. report.
Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, This percentage was calculated
Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Nor- by Eurostat. This is of significance, In 2021, the method for measuring
way, Poland, Spain, Sweden and the since internet use varies among the e-commerce consumption was up-
UK. So when the report talks about different European countries. To dated from the last year to the last
Europe, these are the countries calculate how many consumers from month. As e-commerce consumption
being referred to, unless otherwise each market shop online, we used has increased, it has become harder
specified. The interviews were con- Eurostat’s population statistics as for consumers to remember all their
ducted with representative nation- a basis. purchases on an annual basis. To
wide samples of private individuals reduce the effect of extreme values
aged 15–79 years. To calculate the average purchase with the new method, the maximum
in EUR, we used exchange rates from e-commerce purchase on a monthly
The number of respondents varies June 2021. E-commerce is defined basis has been set at 1,000 euros.
somewhat between the countries. as the purchase of physical products
4
Foreword
The growth of e-commerce
leads to a great need for
environmentally efficient logistics
fter living with the coronavirus pandem-
A
ic for eighteen months, much of the world
is now slowly recovering and returning to
a more normal life. Most parts of society
have been affected by and have had to
adapt to the effects of the pandemic.
Our business operations at PostNord are
no exception. If we take Sweden as an
example, e-commerce grew by 40% last
year. This is a completely unprecedented
development, and we see similar trends
in other countries.
Growth on this scale places high
demands on logistics. For example,
the share of e-commerce consumers “Our business is based on
who want their goods delivered to their
homes has increased significantly. This transportation. This entails
is a real challenge, not least because an unavoidable environmental
of the high ambitions we have in terms
of reducing our climate footprint. Our impact, but we are continuous-
business is based on the transportation
of letters, parcels and goods. This entails
ly and intentionally working
an unavoidable environmental impact, to reduce it.”
but we are continuously and intentionally
working to reduce it. In specific terms,
this means innovations in areas ranging
from efficient logistics and e-commerce the markets in the Nordic countries to the POSTNORD • E-COMMERCE IN EUROPE 2021
to reducing the amount of air in parcels, various distribution solutions we offer.
as well as increased electrification and If you are an e-retailer with operations
ensuring good access to biofuels in all outside the Nordic region, you can also
our markets, and much more besides. get in touch with our global logistics
We also know that we won’t be able to company Direct Link, which offers distri-
meet these challenges on our own. So, in bution services that help companies all
order to achieve our goals, we need to over the world become established in
increase our cooperation with suppliers, new markets.
customers and consumers.
I hope that this year’s report will pro-
This is the eighth edition of the E-com- vide you with new insights into e-com-
merce in Europe report. We publish it merce in Europe.
because we want to be the obvious
choice when it comes to e-commerce
to, from and within the Nordic region. As Annemarie Gardshol
an e-commerce entrepreneur, you are President and Group CEO
welcome to ask us about everything from of PostNord
5
Overview
European e-commerce market
Million Percentage of Estimated
consumers the population average spend
shopping that shops per person
online online per year
UK 49,3 95% 2 316 €
Sweden 7,6 96% 1 932 €
Belgium 7,8 87% 1 572 €
Denmark 4,1 88% 2 916 €
Netherlands 13 94% 1 968 €
Poland 25,8 85% 1 296 €
Germany 62,1 94% 2 088 €
Norway 3,9 93% 2 364 €
Italy 40 84% 1 608 €
Spain 34,6 92% 1 452 €
France 44,7 87% 2 208 €
Finland 4,1 95% 1 392 €
POSTNORD • E-COMMERCE IN EUROPE 2021
6
Percentage of people who have shopped online
at least once a month and average purchase
Basis: Have shopped online
Average
purchases
per month
€ 250
Denmark
€ 200 Norway United Kingdom
France Germany
The Netherlands
Sweden
€ 150
Belgium Italy
Spain
Finland Poland
€ 100
€50
€0
50 % 55 % 60 % 65 % 70 % 75 % 80 % 85 % 90 %
Percentage who have e-shopped in the past month
Germany and the UK
are Europe’s strongest
e-commerce markets
POSTNORD • E-COMMERCE IN EUROPE 2021
-commerce in Europe has grown chase amounts and a high e-com-
during the year. The average sales merce share combined with a large
E per person per month amount to
EUR 161 in the countries surveyed.
More people are choosing to make
larger e-commerce purchases com-
population. The survey shows that
62 million consumers in Germany
have shopped online in the last year,
while the corresponding figure for
pared to before the pandemic and the UK is 49 million.
are buying a wider range of different At the other end of the scale,
product categories. countries like Poland, Spain and Italy
As in previous years, Germany and have relatively low average purchas-
the UK are the strongest e-com- es. Finland also has a lower figure
merce markets in Europe. Both than before, but this could be a tem-
markets have relatively high pur- porary effect during the pandemic.
7
Overview
Growth 2020 in the different regions of the world
Source: E-marketer
Latin America
North America
Central- and Eastern Europe
Asia-Pacific region
Western Europe
Middle East & Africa 19,8 %
The world
0% 5% 10 % 15 % 20 %
POSTNORD • E-COMMERCE IN EUROPE 2021
E-commerce trends lobally, e-com-
merce is
in Europe and the G estimated to be
worth more than
USD 4 trillion by
2020. This corre-
world in 2020
sponds to about
18 percent of total retail sales world-
wide (almost USD 24 trillion). These
figures are, of course, very uncertain,
but they provide an indication of the
magnitudes involved.
Global e-commerce is estimat-
ed to have grown by 28 percent in
2020. Latin America increased the
8
Outlook
Arne Andersson, e-commerce consultant
affiliated to PostNord, and Olof Källgren,
e-commerce expert at Direct Link, comment
on e-commerce in Europe 2021.
36,7 %
Will growth continue
after the pandemic?
31,8 %
E-commerce is growing rapidly in virtually all
European countries. In 2020, there was growth
of over 40 percent in several markets. This his-
29,1 % toric rate of growth was, of course, driven large-
ly by the pandemic. However, purchases from
foreign websites declined marginally compared
to last year’s report, due to delivery problems
26,4 % and societies being shut down. But these are
expected to increase gradually as pandem-
ic-related disruptions diminish in scope.
26,3 % The pandemic has, as mentioned, driven the
growth in e-commerce, but will this new situ-
ation last? We asked consumers in this year’s
survey if they thought they would increase
or decrease their online shopping after the
pandemic, compared to the current situation.
There are differences between countries in this
27,6 % regard. A majority in Germany, the Netherlands
and Belgium think they will decrease their level
25 % 30 % 35 % 40 % of online shopping compared to the past, while
the opposite is the case in Spain, Italy and Po-
land, for example.
An interesting observation that could be
made already in last year’s report was that
the proportion of European consumers willing
to pay extra for more environmentally friendly
delivery methods was about the same as the
proportion of consumers willing to pay extra POSTNORD • E-COMMERCE IN EUROPE 2021
for faster delivery. The situation is similar this
year in that regard, confirming the fact that
most (37%), followed by North Amer- more consumers are interested in environmen-
ica (32%). Europe’s e-commerce also tal issues today than was the case in the past.
grew strongly, by 26% in Western E-commerce companies should of course take
Europe and 29% in Central and note of this development.
Eastern Europe.
The global growth rate of e-com-
merce is certain to slow in 2021 –
despite the fact that more and more
consumers have started to shop
online. This is partly due to more
physical stores reopening and sev-
eral years of projected e-commerce Arne Andersson Olof Källgren
growth being realized in 2020 due Retail analyst at E-commerce expert
to the coronavirus pandemic. PostNord at Direct Link
9
E-commerce in Europe
297
million consumers in
Europe shop online
€ 465
billion – the total that
European consumers
estimate that they spent
online in the past year
216
million European
consumers make
online purchases
from abroad
297 million consumers have
shopped online in the past year
POSTNORD • E-COMMERCE IN EUROPE 2021
he number of e-commerce con- the roll-out of 5G networks enabling
sumers in Europe has grown steadily higher transmission speeds in many
T in recent years. From 286 million
in 2019 to 293 million consumers
in 2020 to 297 million in this year’s
report for 2021. One important
parts of Europe, which could provide
a further boost to mobile e-com-
merce.
However, cross-border shopping
reason, of course, is the coronavirus has decreased compared to last
pandemic, which has left its mark year. 216 million consumers state
on all European countries. At the they have made cross-border online
same time, the trend was already purchases. The pandemic entailed
underway before the pandemic, lockdowns and problems with sup-
with growing e-commerce and an ply, particularly from Asia. Disease
ambitious roll-out of digital infra- outbreaks shut down ports, and
structure in many parts of Europe. container shortages have created a
Of course, this is still ongoing, with lot of chaos in logistics chains.
10E-commerce in Europe
Top 12 product categories
among European shoppers
(millions online consumers in each specific cathegory last year)
175 117 109 99
Clothes and footwear Home electronics Books/audiobooks Cosmetics
86Groceries
84
Pharmacy products
81
Sports and leisure
73
Home furnishings
POSTNORD • E-COMMERCE IN EUROPE 2021
61 Toys
61
Animal products
57
Dietary supplements
55
Vehicle-related
products
11E-commerce in Europe
Most popular products in the surveyed
Basis: Have shopped online
45 L Clothing and footwear
L Home electronics
40 39 L Books /audiobooks
35
31
30 28
25
25
23
22 22
20 20
20
18 18
15 15
15 14
13
11 11 11
10 8 8
7
5 5
5 4 4
2 2
0
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40 Cosmetics, skincare
and haircare
35 Groceries
Pharmacy products
30 28
25
23
20 19
17
16
15 14
13 13
POSTNORD • E-COMMERCE IN EUROPE 2021
12
11 11 11 11
10
10 9 9
7 7
6
5 5
5 4
3
2 2 2
1
0
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12E-commerce in Europe
European markets
30
L Sports and leisure
products
25
22
L Home furnishings
L Toys
20
17
16
15
15 14 14
13
12
11 11
10 9 9
7 8 8
7 7
5 5
5 4 4
3
2 2
1 1 1
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30
nimal products
A
and pet food
25
Dietary supplements
and similar
20
Car accessories
15
13 13
11
10 10 10 10
10 9
8 9
7 7 7
6 6 6 6
5 5
5
3 3 3
2 2
1 1 1
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POSTNORD • E-COMMERCE IN EUROPE 2021
Basis: Have shopped online
13The pandemic
Consumers in Spain, the UK
and Italy have increased
their online shopping
onsumers in Spain, the UK and Italy Younger consumers in particular
in particular state they have been state they have been shopping on-
C making more online purchases dur-
ing the pandemic. Spain and Italy
are countries that have historically
had a lower level of e-commerce, so
line more than before. However, it is
possible that older people who are
less digitally literate have in many
cases been helped to shop online
it is not surprising that more people by younger relatives when retail
have changed their behavior in shopping has been restricted. Many
these countries. The UK also shows countries have also prioritized older
high numbers. Nor is it particularly consumers during specific shopping
surprising given the severe shut- hours, which has also reduced the
downs that have taken place there. need to shop online.
Percentage of people who
e-shopped more during the pandemic
Spain 52 %
United Kingdom 40 %
Italy 44 %
Poland 43 %
POSTNORD • E-COMMERCE IN EUROPE 2021
Belgium 39 %
Germany 38 %
The Netherlands 37 %
Sweden 34 %
France 32 %
Norway 31 %
Finland 30 %
Denmark 28 %
0% 10 % 20 % 30 % 40 % 50 % 60 %
14The pandemic
How e-commerce
will be affected after the pandemic
Basis: Have shopped online
25 %
21
20 20 20
20 % 19
18
17 17 17
16
15 15 15 15
15 % 14 14
13 13 13
12 12
10 % 9 9
8
5%
0%
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Percentage who think they will do more online shopping after the pandemic
Percentage who think they will do less online shopping after the pandemic
How e-commerce
in Europe will be affected
after the pandemic
POSTNORD • E-COMMERCE IN EUROPE 2021
s described on the previous page, merce compared to previously.
European e-commerce has been Spain, Poland and Italy are exam-
A boosted in all countries during the
pandemic. The question is how
lasting these changes will be. To find
out, consumers in the survey were
ples of the opposite. This is probably
because Germany, for example, is
relatively traditional and many still
prefer to shop in physical stores. The
asked whether they thought they UK is an interesting example with a
would increase or decrease their high level of spread in both direc-
online shopping after the pandemic tions, with one group appearing to
compared to the current situation. become even more digitalized and
Germany, the Netherlands and another group preferring to return to
Belgium are countries with a greater traditional retail.
bias towards reducing their e-com-
15International retailing
Countries from which Europeans shop online
(number of millions who shopped from each country)
Basis: Have made cross-border online purchases
China 59 %
United Kingdom 27 %
USA 27 %
Germany 26 %
Nordic countries 19 %
France 13 %
Spain 9%
The rest of Europe 9%
The Netherlands 8%
Italy 8%
Japan 6%
Canada 3%
The rest of Asia 3%
India 3%
Australia 2%
Iceland 2%
Russia 2%
The rest of North and 1%
Central America
Countries in 1%
South America
POSTNORD • E-COMMERCE IN EUROPE 2021
Coutries in Africa 0%
0% 10 % 20 % 30 % 40 % 50 % 60 %
China, the UK and the US
top the list for cross-border
online shopping China once again tops the list as the most
popular country for online purchases from
abroad, despite problems shipping from
Asia. The UK came in second place, closely
followed by the US.
16Sustainability
Varied interest in paying
for sustainable deliveries
taly and Germany are the countries
in which the highest proportion of
I e-commerce consumers would be
willing to pay extra for a more sus-
tainable e-commerce delivery. It is
mainly in the younger consumer cat-
egory (18–29 years) that consumers
are willing to pay more for this.
However, these respondents also
consider themselves to be more or less
equally willing to pay for faster deliv-
eries, so it may be that the willingness
to pay for more tailored deliveries is
generally higher in these groups.
There is least interest in Finland.
This could be due to the fact that
consumers consider the existing de-
liveries to be good from an environ-
mental perspective.
Finland ranks among the top Eu-
ropean countries in terms of the de-
ployment of parcel machines, which
can be viewed as a more eco-friend-
ly option than home delivery.
Percentage who would pay extra for an POSTNORD • E-COMMERCE IN EUROPE 2021
eco-friendly delivery
Basis: Have shopped online
40 %
35
32
30 % 28 27 27 26
23 22
20 19
20 %
16 16
10 %
0%
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17Sustainability
Spaniards and Italians
shop online locally for
environmental reasons
here are many reasons to shop choose domestic e-commerce for
online within your own country. One other reasons. At the other end of
T such reason that we measured in
previous reports is the language.
However, even in the area of sus-
tainability, there are reasons to buy
the scale are the Nordic countries.
This is interesting, as these coun-
tries tend to be characterized by a
high level of interest in sustainability
domestically to reduce transport compared to Europe. However, it is
distances and carbon emissions. possible that the limited size and
Among the countries that have geographical position of countries
chosen to buy domestically for plays a part, as many products need
environmental reasons, Spain to be imported, whether through
and Italy are at the top. These are local companies or the consumers
countries that are also happy to themselves.
Percentage who have actively chosen to shop
online domestically to reduce environmental
impact of deliveries
Basis: Have shopped online
60 %
POSTNORD • E-COMMERCE IN EUROPE 2021
50 49
50 %
42
40 % 38
36
34
32
30 30 29
30 %
26
23
20 %
10 %
0%
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18Marketplaces
Percentage who have made purchases
from a marketplace during the year
Basis: Have shopped online
98 97
100 % 96 96
92
90
90 %
80 % 76
70 69
70 % 66 66
61
60 %
POSTNORD • E-COMMERCE IN EUROPE 2021
50 %
40 %
30 %
20 %
10 %
0%
ly
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19Marketplaces
Wish lost ground
in several countries
during the pandemic year
latform commerce, like other When it comes to Amazon, Sweden
e-commerce, has of course bene- and the Netherlands are the main
P fited from the boom in e-commerce
during the pandemic. However,
Wish seems to be an exception, at
least according to the consumers
outliers. Amazon established itself in
Sweden at the end of last year and
this has helped to boost the propor-
tion of Swedish consumers.
surveyed. Wish has lost share com-
pared to last year in a number of
European countries.
Use of Marketplaces: Changes from
the previous year in percentage points
Basis: Have shopped online
15
10
POSTNORD • E-COMMERCE IN EUROPE 2021
5
0
-5 %
-10 %
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Wish Zalando Amazon
20Marketplaces
Is e-commerce easier for older
people through Amazon?
lder e-commerce consumers are zon, with its huge range of products,
often overshadowed by younger will facilitate the transition to e-com-
O ones. This is true for most of the plat-
forms in the survey. However, Ama-
zon differs in those countries where
it is well established, such as Italy,
merce for older consumers.
This is because they only need to
learn how to use a single website
to be able to engage in broad and
Germany and the UK. In both the UK comprehensive digital consumption,
and Italy, a higher proportion of old- which is not possible on most other
er consumers report having shopped websites that cannot provide the
online from Amazon than younger same product range, thus forcing
consumers, although younger con- the customer to be active on several
sumers certainly outnumber older different websites with different
ones in absolute terms. technical systems for payments,
It is therefore possible that Ama- deliveries and checkout. POSTNORD • E-COMMERCE IN EUROPE 2021
Percentage who have e-shopped from Amazon
Basis: Have shopped online
100 % 98 96
93 94
88 89 90 89 89
87
83 80
80 %
60 %
40 %
20 %
0%
18-29 30-49 50-64 65-79
Italy Germany United Kingdom
21Deliveries
Fast deliveries
more important in 2021
s e-commerce sales have increased delivery, compared to 16% last year.
across the board during the corona- This may be due to the fact that
A virus pandemic, so has the number
of consignments. More people are
ordering more products. As a result,
consumers in many countries expect
many new consumers, especial-
ly older ones, arrived in the early
stages of the coronavirus pandemic
and have now become accustomed
faster deliveries. In the UK, for ex- to e-commerce, with increased
ample, 15% expect a delivery time demands as a result. Experienced
of 1–2 days, compared to 11% last e-commerce consumers tend to be
year. In Belgium, the corresponding more demanding when it comes to
figure is 18%, compared to 12% last everything from payment options to
year. And in Spain, 21% expect rapid delivery methods and delivery times.
E-commerce consumer expectations of delivery time
Basis: Have shopped online
80 %
71
68 66
64 62
60 % 56
40 %
30
25
19 21
20 % 18 16
15 15
12 11 11
7
3 3 3
POSTNORD • E-COMMERCE IN EUROPE 2021
2 2 1
0%
United Kingdom Belgium The Netherlands Italy Poland Spain
80 % 74
67 68 68
62 64
60 %
40 %
29 29
20
20 % 15 16 17
9 11 11 11
3 5 4 5 4 4 3
2
0%
Germany France Sweden Denmark Norway Finland
1-2 days 3-5 days > 6days > Don’t know
22Deliveries
When you order a product online,
how do you prefer to have it delivered?
80 %
60 % 55 56
51
47
40
40 %
33 31
20 % 16
10 9 8
6 5
3 3 1 1 3 2 1 1 1 1 3 3
0 0 0
0%
United Kingdom Belgium The Netherlands Italy
80 %
70
60 %
52
45
40 %
32
27
22 22 22
20 % 15 17 17
9 10
5 5 5 6
2 1 2 1 1 3 1 2 2
0 0
0%
Poland Spain Germany France
80 %
60 %
44
40 % 34 34
31
27
22 23 21
20 % 18 18 17 POSTNORD • E-COMMERCE IN EUROPE 2021
13 13 13 15
12
9 7
6
1 1 3 3 1
0 0 0 0
0%
Sweden Denmark Norway Finland
Home delivery with signature requirement
Home delivery or delivery outside the door
without signature requirement
Delivered to my mailbox/multi-occupancy
mailbox by the mail carrier
Collect the product myself from a distribution point
Collect the product myself from
a parcel machine
Pick up at the online store’s
physical store
Home delivery with digital lock
23Deliveries
How important are the following
characteristics when ordering a product online?
Basis: Have shopped online
80 %
71
70 % 69
66 67
60 % 59 58
56 55
52 53
50 % 49 49
47
42 41 42
40
40 %
30 %
20
20 %
10 %
0%
ly
d
in
ds
m
um
n
Ita
a
do
n
la
i
Sp
la
lg
ng
Po
er
Be
Ki
h
et
d
N
ite
e
Un
Th
80 %
70 %
65
60 % 57 56 56
55 55
52 53 53
50 % 47
42 41
40
40 % 38
30 30
30 %
25
23
20 %
10 %
POSTNORD • E-COMMERCE IN EUROPE 2021
0%
k
ay
y
d
ce
en
an
ar
an
an
w
ed
m
m
nl
or
Fr
Sw
en
er
Fi
N
G
D
Being able to choose the place for delivery Fast delivery Cost of delivery
24Deliveries
Are you willing to pay EUR 3 extra
for faster delivery?
Basis: Have shopped online
34 % 20 % 16 % 30 %
United Kingdom Belgium The Netherlands Italy
19 % 28 % 30 % 25 %
Poland Spain Germany France
24 % 23 % 34 % 24 %
Sweden Denmark Norway Finland
Are you willing to pay EUR 3 extra
for more eco-friendly delivery?
Basis: Have shopped online
27 % 23 % 20 % 35 %
United Kingdom Belgium The Netherlands Italy
POSTNORD • E-COMMERCE IN EUROPE 2021
16 % 28 % 32 % 27 %
Poland Spain Germany France
19 % 22 % 26 % 16 %
Sweden Denmark Norway Finland
25Mobile e-commerce
A majority of European
e-commerce consumers
have made purchases
with their mobile phones
-commerce with mobile phones ences within countries, especially
E
has gone from being a niche with regard to age. The oldest age
phenomenon to becoming main- groups tend to shop less by mobile
stream over a number of years. In phone than the others, and usually
2020 and 2021, the differences in the majority of those aged 65 and
mobile usage between European over have not done so. This is likely
countries have levelled out, with all to change in the coming years as
countries reporting that more than older people become more digital-
70% of respondents use their mobile ly literate and new generations of
phone or tablet for e-commerce. older people with digital experience
However, there are still differ- gradually emerge.
Percentage who have made purchases
with a mobile phone in the past year
90 %
82 83 81 83
78 78 79 79
80 % 78 77
75 74 75
72 72 72 71 71 71
70 70 69
70 %
67 65
60 %
POSTNORD • E-COMMERCE IN EUROPE 2021
50 %
40 %
30 %
20 %
10 %
0%
ly
y
k
ay
m
um
ds
d
in
ce
en
d
an
ar
n
an
Ita
a
do
n
an
ed
w
la
i
Sp
m
la
lg
m
nl
or
ng
Po
Fr
Sw
en
er
Be
er
Fi
N
Ki
h
G
D
et
d
N
ite
e
Un
Th
2021 2020
26Payment methods
Varying payment
preferences in Europe
uropean countries demonstrate in countries such as the UK, Bel-
a wide range of payment prefer- gium, France and Spain. Some other
E
ences. In some cases there are local payment solutions, such as digital
payment solutions that occupy a payments, also often have the card
very strong position, such as iDEAL system at their core. PayPal and
in the Netherlands. In other cases, similar services are also popular in
local values are reflected in pay- many countries. Recently, mobile
ment methods, for example the applications – often local banking
countries in which invoice payment partnerships – have also gained
is preferred. popularity, for example in the Nordic
Card payment is the main meth- countries, and it is likely that this
od of payment. Such payments are type of payment will continue to
preferred by the majority of people grow in the future.
Debit Invoice Direct PayPal Cash on Payment Mobile app Other/
card or payment or similar delivery by install- (e.g. Swish, Don’t know
credit through my ments MobilePay,
card bank Vipps)
United
Kingdom 58 % 0% 2% 35 % 1% 1% 2% 1%
Belgium 51 % 4% 8% 23 % 2% 0% 8% 2%
Netherlands 17 % 4% 6% 12 % 1% 0% 57 % 3%
Italy 45 % 1% 1% 47 % 3% 0% 1% 2%
Poland 23 % 1% 29 % 22 % 11 % 0% 10 % 4% POSTNORD • E-COMMERCE IN EUROPE 2021
Spain 54 % 1% 2% 39 % 2% 0% 1% 1%
Germany 17 % 21 % 6% 50 % 0% 0% 2% 2%
France 58 % 2% 2% 32 % 1% 0% 1% 3%
Sweden 28 % 31 % 11 % 13 % 0% 1% 10 % 5%
Denmark 52 % 5% 4% 13 % 0% 0% 22 % 4%
Norway 39 % 18 % 5% 21 % 1% 1% 11 % 4%
Finland 30 % 21 % 21 % 20 % 1% 2% 3% 2%
Basis: Have shopped online
27Spotlight on Belgium
Vignette
Belgium:
The local e-commerce market has
matured as a result of the pandemic
elgian market has lagged behind
the rest of Western Europe. “Currently, 87% of
B the Belgian population
Previous regulations regarding
night work have entailed logistics
problems in the country. In addition, state they have
the country has a fragmented con-
sumer base due to its multilingual shopped online.”
population, which has made it easi-
er for foreign market participants to demic has helped to boost local
establish themselves. e-commerce in the country. Current-
The e-commerce market in Bel- ly, 87% of the Belgian population
gium is still dominated by foreign state they have shopped online.
market participants, but the pan-
POSTNORD • E-COMMERCE IN EUROPE 2021
Percentage of e-commerce consumers Agerage for Europe
that have shopped from abroad
Percentage who shopped online more often due to coronavirus 39 %
Average purchase per month (EUR) EUR 131
Percentage of e-commerce consumers abroad 69 %
Percentage of e-commerce consumers 87 %
Internet penetration 94 %
28Top three preferred
delivery methods
How do you prefer to have your product
delivered when you shop online?
Home delivery
with signature
16 % Home delivery
without signature
Delivery
56 % to mailbox
10 %
Divided Belgium
Basis: Have
Belgium’s division into French-speaking shopped online
Wallonia and Dutch-speaking Flanders has
further contributed to the fragmentation of local
e-commerce. Dutch-speaking consumers prefer
to use Dutch online stores, which has made it
more difficult for Belgian online stores to com-
pete on the market, as they are more exposed
to foreign competition.
Top three international
marketplaces
Impact of the corona- From which of the following e-commerce sites
have you shopped online in the past year?
virus pandemic 1. Zalando 47 %
The pandemic has given the domestic e-com-
merce market a major boost. As closed borders
2. Amazon 47 %
created uncertainty in cross-border trade, more 3. Alibaba/Aliexpress 21 %
and more consumers started to shop online
domestically. Belgium is one of the countries in Basis: Have shopped online
Europe most affected by the pandemic. With
physical stores closed, more and more compa-
nies were forced online. More than 20,000 new
e-commerce stores opened in Belgium in 2020,
representing 42% of all e-commerce stores in
the country.
Most commonly POSTNORD • E-COMMERCE IN EUROPE 2021
bought products online
Marketplaces Percentage of e-commerce consumers who have
made purchases from each respective product
Although the domestic e-commerce market category over the past year.
is maturing more and more in Belgium, for-
eign e-commerce players still account for the Clothing and footwear 49 %
majority of e-commerce in the country. The top
Pharmacy products 31 %
five online stores are all foreign; the largest are
Dutch Bol.com and Coolblue. Amazon does Cosmetics and skin care 30 %
not have a Belgian website, but the French and Home electronics 30 %
German sites are popular with Belgians. On
the fashion side, German Zalando is one of the Books and media 27 %
biggest market participants in Belgium. Home furnishings 19 %
Sports and leisure 18 %
Animal products 17 %
29Spotlight on Denmark
Vignette
Denmark: e-commerce was
a savior during the pandemic
The Danish e-commerce market is
one of the more established markets “As many as 88% of
T Danes in the survey state
in Europe. Danes are frequent users
of both mobile phones and comput-
ers, which is reflected in their interest they have purchased
in e-commerce.
As many as 88% of Danes in the products online.”
survey state they have purchased
products online. In addition, the
country benefits from a relatively
small land area, which makes trans-
port more efficient.
POSTNORD • E-COMMERCE IN EUROPE 2021
Percentage of e-commerce consumers Agerage for Europe
that have shopped from abroad
Percentage who shopped online more often due to coronavirus 28 %
Average purchase per month (EUR) EUR 243
Percentage of e-commerce consumers abroad 71 %
Percentage of e-commerce consumers 88 %
Internet penetration 99 %
30Top three preferred
delivery methods
How do you prefer to have your product
delivered when you shop online?
Home delivery
21 % with signature
Home delivery
18 %
without signature
Collect the
product myself
from a service
The Danes try
point
34 %
something new Basis: Have
shopped online
The Danes’ e-commerce maturity is evident when
it comes to sales channels. Many companies offer
click-and-collect, i.e. the possibility to order a prod-
uct online and pick it up in store. Live digital shop-
ping and video shopping are also becoming more
common in Denmark. The pandemic has given
Top three international
these alternative shopping options a major boost. marketplaces
Almost half of consumers have tried new ways of From which of the following e-commerce sites
shopping during the pandemic. As much as 27% have you shopped online in the past year?
of Denmark’s pensioners have tried the option of
picking up their e-commerce parcel in store.
1. Zalando 42 %
Impact of the corona- 2. Wish 22 %
3. Amazon 20 %
virus pandemic Basis: Have shopped online
Denmark has had strict restrictions and prolonged
lockdowns during the pandemic. Opportunities
to visit physical stores have been severely limit-
ed. Instead, Danes have turned to the internet for
everything from groceries to building materials.
Online shops have been busy, but still managed
to satisfy consumer demands. According to 9 out
Most commonly POSTNORD • E-COMMERCE IN EUROPE 2021
of 10 Danes, e-commerce has been a great help bought products online
during the coronavirus crisis. Percentage of e-commerce consumers who have
made purchases from each respective product
category over the past year.
Marketplaces
Clothing and footwear 52 %
The German clothing giant Zalando is a popular
Home electronics 33 %
market participant in Denmark, and the company
launched its second-hand service Zircle on the Cosmetics and skin care 27 %
Danish market during the year. Another new player Pharmacy products 26 %
is the online platform The Founded, created by
the Danish fashion company Bestseller Group. The Groceries 23 %
platform offers sales of several fashion brands, Dietary supplements 21 %
including clothing from Jack & Jones, Vero Moda
Books and media 21 %
and Only. The Founded replaces the company’s
former online store Bestseller.com. Animal products 18 %
31Spotlight on Finland
Vignette
Finland: Finnish e-commerce
picks up during the pandemic
innish e-commerce has historically
lagged somewhat behind the other
“During the coronavirus
F Nordic countries, despite the country’s
high level of digitalization. In par-
ticular, older Finns have been more
pandemic, the share
of e-commerce has
skeptical about e-commerce than
comparable age groups in Sweden,
increased in Finland.”
Denmark and Norway. However,
during the coronavirus pandemic, the
share of e-commerce has increased in
Finland. For example, the percentage
of people who state they shop online
at least once a month has increased
POSTNORD • E-COMMERCE IN EUROPE 2021
from 49% last year to 59% this year.
Percentage of e-commerce consumers Agerage for Europe
that have shopped from abroad
Percentage who shopped online more often due to coronavirus 30 %
Average purchase per month (EUR) EUR 116
Percentage of e-commerce consumers abroad 80 %
Percentage of e-commerce consumers 95 %
Internet penetration 98 %
32Top three preferred
delivery methods
How do you prefer to have your product
delivered when you shop online?
Collect the
27 % product myself
from parcel
machine
17 % Delivery
to mailbox
Collect the
product myself
Finnish consumers 34 % from a service
point
stand out when it Basis: Have
shopped online
comes to delivery
preferences
In most of the markets studied, home delivery
is clearly the most preferred option when it
Top three international
comes to delivery alternatives. This is not the marketplaces
case in Finland. Consumers here are the only From which of the following e-commerce sites
ones in the survey who hold collect myself from have you shopped online in the past year?
a parcel machine as their number one preference.
Furthermore, compared to most other European
online consumers, the Finns do not consider fast 1. Zalando 36 %
deliveries to be that important. They are more
interested in being able to choose the place for
2. eBay 18 %
the delivery. 3. Amazon 15 %
Basis: Have shopped online
Impact of the corona-
virus pandemic
The coronavirus pandemic has not had the
same impact on Finnish e-commerce as in the
rest of Europe. 30% of Finnish e-commerce
Most commonly POSTNORD • E-COMMERCE IN EUROPE 2021
consumers said they had shopped more online bought products online
because of the pandemic, which is the lowest Percentage of e-commerce consumers who have
figure in the survey, along with Denmark. made purchases from each respective product
category over the past year.
Marketplaces Clothing and footwear 55 %
Home electronics 40 %
Finns are the least likely to have purchased
products from marketplaces over the period. As Cosmetics and skin care 33 %
much as 38% of Finns state they have not pur- Books and media 30 %
chased from any of the websites in the sample.
Among the others, Zalando is by far the most Groceries 29 %
popular. 36% state they have shopped online Sports and leisure 29 %
from Zalando, which is twice the percentage for
Pharmacy products 27 %
eBay, which came in second place.
Home furnishing 17 %
33Spotlight on France
Vignette
France:
Amazon strong in the otherwise
domestic e-commerce market
n 1982, the French service Mini-
tel was launched in France and is
“The French retail and payment
I
considered to be one of the pre- landscape is one of the fastest
cursors of the internet. On Minitel,
users could book train tickets, make growing markets in the world,
payments and write emails, as well
as doing what we now call online
with consumers embracing
shopping. As an internet pioneer, digital payments and online
France today has an established
online retail market and is one of the shopping at a record pace.”
top six online retailing countries in
the world. Sebastian Siemiatkowski, CEO of Klarna
POSTNORD • E-COMMERCE IN EUROPE 2021
Percentage of e-commerce consumers Agerage for Europe
that have shopped from abroad
Percentage who shopped online more often due to coronavirus 32 %
Average purchase per month (EUR) EUR 184
Percentage of e-commerce consumers abroad 62 %
Percentage of e-commerce consumers 87 %
Internet penetration 93 %
34Top three preferred
delivery methods
How do you prefer to have your product
delivered when you shop online?
Home delivery
22 % with signature
Home delivery
without signature
Delivery
45 % 17 % to mailbox
Impact of the corona-
virus pandemic Basis: Have
shopped online
As a result of several lockdowns, France is one
of the countries in Europe whose physical retail
market has been most affected by the coronavi-
rus pandemic. This led to a major boom in e-com-
merce. For example, one billion parcels were de-
livered in 2020, which is two hundred million more
Top three international
than the previous year. Overall, France’s GDP fell marketplaces
by around 4.3 per cent in 2020, compared with From which of the following e-commerce sites
the previous year. have you shopped online in the past year?
Marketplaces 1. Amazon 80 %
France has a wide range of national e-retail-
2. Zalando 26 %
ers and marketplaces. In terms of net sales, only 3. eBay 22 %
Amazon is bigger than the French market partic-
ipants Cdiscount, Vente-Privee and Auchan. At Basis: Have shopped online
the beginning of the year, French President Ema-
nuel Macron presented a new climate change bill.
One thing that has given rise to debate is that the
proposal makes it more difficult to asphalt empty
fields. However, e-commerce giants such as Ama-
zon are still allowed to build their warehouses on
this type of land, which has upset many. Another
Most commonly POSTNORD • E-COMMERCE IN EUROPE 2021
win for Amazon, which has previously fought the bought products online
French government regarding its free delivery Percentage of e-commerce consumers who have
services. made purchases from each respective product
category over the past year.
Klarna launched Clothing and footwear 50 %
Sports and leisure 30 %
Swedish fintech company Klarna launched its
services in France in June 2021. The French can Groceries 30 %
take advantage of Klarna’s new “Pay in 3” instal- Books and media 29 %
ment service, which allows consumers to divide
their payments into three parts – free of charge Home electronics 25 %
and interest-free. The service is already available Cosmetics and skincare 24 %
in the US and the UK and has been highly appre-
Home furnishings 20 %
ciated. The establishment of Klarna is another
sign of the fintech company’s worldwide success. Toys 20 %
35Spotlight on Germany
Vignette
Germany: New challenges
await the successful country
ermany is at the forefront of “We have the potential
G
e-commerce. The country’s e-com-
merce market is well developed to take more than
compared to the rest of Europe. In
addition, the proportion of internet 10 percent of the
users is as high as 96%, which is
reflected in the Germans’ high level
European fashion market.”
of e-commerce. In the survey, 94 Robert Gentz, CEO at Zalando
percent of Germans state that they
have shopped online.
Germany also seems to have re- from. With trade from the UK made
ceived a boost from Brexit. Germany, more difficult by its withdrawal from
along with the UK, is one of the most the EU, more consumers seem to be
popular countries to shop online looking to Germany instead.
POSTNORD • E-COMMERCE IN EUROPE 2021
Percentage of e-commerce consumers Agerage for Europe
that have shopped from abroad
Percentage who shopped online more often due to coronavirus 38 %
Average purchase per month (EUR) EUR 174
Percentage of e-commerce consumers abroad 68 %
Percentage of e-commerce consumers 94 %
Internet penetration 96 %
36Top three preferred
delivery methods
How do you prefer to have your product
delivered when you shop online?
Home delivery
with signature
Home delivery
without signature
52 % 32 % Collect the parcel
myself from
a parcel machine
Click-and-collect not 6%
popular in Germany Basis: Have
shopped online
Click-and-collect – ordering online and picking up in
store – has grown rapidly in Europe in recent times. The
concept has become a hot trend in France and the UK,
for example, but in Germany it has not been as suc-
cessful. One possible reason for the lower popularity is
that relatively few German e-retailers have introduced
Top three international
the service. It is possible that click-and-collect and marketplaces
other delivery options will become more widespread as From which of the following e-commerce sites
more companies start to launch these services. have you shopped online in the past year?
Impact of the corona- 1. Amazon 87 %
virus pandemic 2. eBay 53 %
3. Zalando 27 %
The German e-commerce market has exploded in re-
cent years, and during the pandemic, online shopping Basis: Have shopped online
has become particularly popular. However, the large
volume of parcels in circulation has presented some
logistical challenges. The logistics company DHL has
decided to expand its distribution center in the town of
Aschheim. The distribution center will be the largest in
Germany. The new facility will sort up to 72,000 parcels
per hour. The center is due to be completed next year
Most commonly POSTNORD • E-COMMERCE IN EUROPE 2021
and is expected to create 500 new jobs. bought products online
Percentage of e-commerce consumers who have
made purchases from each respective product
May be affected category over the past year.
by new VAT rules Clothing and footwear 63 %
Pharmacy products 45 %
A dark cloud is hanging over German e-retailers due
to the EU introducing new VAT rules over the summer. Home electronics 45 %
The main difference compared to previously is that Books and media 39 %
VAT is now payable in the country in which the con-
sumer is located, rather than in the country in which Cosmetics and skin care 27 %
the business that sold the product operates. Germany’s Home furnishings 27 %
VAT rate of 19% is lower than that of most other EU
Sports and leisure 26 %
countries. The new VAT rules therefore mean less com-
petitive conditions for German e-retailers. Movies 24 %
37Spotlight on Italy
Vignette
Italy: the e-commerce
market is booming
taly is the third largest economy
in Europe and is also a leader in the
“The coronavirus pandemic
I production of luxury goods. Despite
this, Italy’s e-commerce market is
of modest size compared to the
has contributed to a further
shift in consumption from
e-commerce markets in the rest of
Europe. However, the country has
in-store retail to e-commerce
been rapidly digitizing in recent in Italy.”
years. 84% of Italian respondents
state they have shopped online. The
coronavirus pandemic has contrib-
uted to a further shift in consump-
tion from in-store retail to e-com-
POSTNORD • E-COMMERCE IN EUROPE 2021
merce in Italy.
Percentage of e-commerce consumers Agerage for Europe
that have shopped from abroad
Percentage who shopped online more often due to coronavirus 44 %
Average purchase per month (EUR) EUR 134
Percentage of e-commerce consumers abroad 66 %
Percentage of e-commerce consumers 84 %
Internet penetration 86 %
38Top three preferred
delivery methods
How do you prefer to have your product
delivered when you shop online?
Home delivery
with signature
Home delivery
without signature
Collect the prod-
47 % 40 % uct myself from
a service point
Impact of the corona- 5%
virus pandemic Basis: Have
shopped online
During the pandemic, many Italians chose
to shop online. To prevent the spread of the
disease, the country’s government chose to shut
down physical retail outlets, giving many people
a reason to shop online for the first time. Once
consumers have crossed the initial threshold,
Top three international
they are likely to continue to shop online even marketplaces
when society returns to how it was previously. From which of the following e-commerce sites
have you shopped online in the past year?
Marketplaces 1. Amazon 95 %
International e-retailers are popular with
consumers. Amazon and eBay, for example, are
2. eBay 46 %
popular. Several new stores were launched in 3. Zalando 45 %
the Italian e-commerce market in the spring.
These include the Russian clothing company Basis: Have shopped online
Wildberries, the Lithuanian second-hand plat-
form Vinted and the American Amazon Fresh
meal kit concept. The reason for the popularity
of the international market participants in Italy
could be that local companies have been slow
to launch online platforms, and many smaller
retailers do not offer e-commerce at all.
Most commonly POSTNORD • E-COMMERCE IN EUROPE 2021
bought products online
New on the market Percentage of e-commerce consumers who have
made purchases from each respective product
category over the past year.
In early 2021, Amazon Fresh was established
in Italy. Italy is already one of Amazon´s main Clothing and footwear 58 %
markets in Europe, where the marketplace in
Home electronics 49 %
previous surveys has shown a great impact on
the e-commerce population. With Amazon Books and media 45 %
Fresh, a larger range of groceries will be Cosmetics and skin care 39 %
added on Amazon´s platform as a complement
to the range of goods. The concept has also Sports and leisure 30 %
been established in physical stores during the Groceries 28 %
year, especially in the US.
Building products 28 %
Pharmacy products 27 %
39Spotlight on The Netherlands
Vignette
The Netherlands:
At the heart of e-commerce
he Netherlands is one of the pi-
oneers of e-commerce. Favorable
“Currently, 94%
T conditions such as high internet
penetration and residents with both
technical skills and a stable inter-
of Dutch people
state they have
net connection contribute to this.
Currently, 94% of Dutch people state
shopped online.”
they have shopped online.
An important aspect of Dutch com-
merce is the high population density,
the small distances involved and the natural consumer market for Dutch
fact that the Flemish language and e-commerce companies is broader
culture transcend national borders. than national borders allow, which is
POSTNORD • E-COMMERCE IN EUROPE 2021
In concrete terms, this means that the important to know.
Percentage of e-commerce consumers Agerage for Europe
that have shopped from abroad
Percentage who shopped online more often due to coronavirus 3 7%
Average purchase per month (EUR) EUR 164
Percentage of e-commerce consumers abroad 66 %
Percentage of e-commerce consumers 94 %
Internet penetration 96 %
40Top three preferred
delivery methods
How do you prefer to have your product
delivered when you shop online?
Home delivery
with signature
Home delivery
31 % without signature
Collect the
51 % product myself
from a service
Impact of the corona-
point
8%
virus pandemic Basis: Have
shopped online
Although e-commerce in the Netherlands
has been strong for some time, it has become
even stronger in 2020. As in most countries, the
e-commerce share has widened to encompass
more consumer groups, particularly the elderly.
The Netherlands has had periodic lockdowns of
Top three international
both schools and workplaces, but has also tried marketplaces
to open up society as the spread of the disease From which of the following e-commerce sites
has declined. have you shopped online in the past year?
Marketplaces 1. Zalando 39 %
Unlike in many other countries, Amazon is
2. Amazon 35 %
not the most visited marketplace. Instead, three 3. Alibaba/Aliexpress 28 %
out of four Dutch consumers visit the domestic
website Bol.com at least once a month. Like Basis: Have shopped online
Amazon, it is a one-stop shop run by third par-
ties where virtually anyone can set up a seller
account.
Short delivery times Most commonly POSTNORD • E-COMMERCE IN EUROPE 2021
With a large proportion of citizens shopping bought products online
online, the demands on e-commerce market Percentage of e-commerce consumers who have
participants are high. Short delivery times are made purchases from each respective product
important to consumers in the country, with it category over the past year.
taking customers an average of two to three
days to receive their parcel. The fact that the Clothing and footwear 60 %
country is small in size simplifies logistics, as
Home electronics 41 %
does the fact that Europe’s largest port is in
Rotterdam? The latter has also meant that the Cosmetics and skin care 34 %
Netherlands buys more from China than other Books and media 33 %
countries, but this has, however, fallen during the
pandemic from 37 to 32 percent. Home furnishings 28 %
Animal products 22 %
Sports and leisure 21 %
Groceries 19 %
41Spotlight on Norway
Vignette
Norway: Changed VAT rules
and increased duty-free access
ike the rest of Scandinavia,
Norway is a digitally mature coun-
“ The coronavirus has rein-
L
try. However, new VAT rules have forced and accelerated trends
changed the playing field for foreign
e-retailers. From April 1, 2020, all that we’ve been seeing for
foreign companies will have to pay
Norwegian VAT on all goods sold to
a long time. Demand for
Norwegian consumers, provided that our services is exceptionally
the company’s annual net sales ex-
ceed NOK 50,000. Low-value goods strong, both in Norway and
continue to benefit from duty-free
treatment, but the amount has been
internationally.”
increased from NOK 350 to NOK Vegard Vik, co-founder and CFO at Oda
3,000. The increased duty-free access
makes it both cheaper and easier for
POSTNORD • E-COMMERCE IN EUROPE 2021
Norwegian consumers to make online
purchases from abroad.
Percentage of e-commerce consumers Agerage for Europe
that have shopped from abroad
Percentage who shopped online more often due to coronavirus 3 1%
Average purchase per month (EUR) EUR 197
Percentage of e-commerce consumers abroad 77 %
Percentage of e-commerce consumers 93 %
Internet penetration 99 %
42Top three preferred
delivery methods
How do you prefer to have your product
delivered when you shop online?
Delivery
18 % to mailbox
Home delivery
without signature
15 % Collect the
44 % product myself
from a service
point
Impact of the corona-
virus pandemic Basis: Have
shopped online
The pandemic has given many Norwegian
companies’ e-commerce a major boost. In its
annual report for 2020, the sports chain XXL
reported growth of 43%. In addition, for the first
time ever, the company’s net sales from e-com-
merce exceeded NOK 2 billion. The Nordic
Top three international
region’s largest home electronics e-retailer marketplaces
Komplett Group increased its operating profit From which of the following e-commerce sites
to NOK 271 million in 2020 – a fivefold increase have you shopped online in the past year?
compared to the previous year.
1. Zalando 42 %
Increased demand 2. Wish 23 %
for delivery options 3. eBay 23 %
As a result of Norway’s tough restrictions, many Basis: Have shopped online
companies have been forced to rethink. When
Clas Ohlson had to keep their stores closed,
they offered the “Curbside pick-up” delivery op-
tion – an option that has become very popular.
Despite more expensive handling, this delivery
option has contributed to the continued strong
growth of Clas Ohlson’s online sales. Home
Most commonly POSTNORD • E-COMMERCE IN EUROPE 2021
delivery of food has also become increasingly bought products online
common during the pandemic, prompting the Percentage of e-commerce consumers who have
explosive growth of the Norwegian online food made purchases from each respective product
giant Oda. category over the past year.
Marketplaces
Clothing and footwear 55 %
Cosmetics and skin care 31 %
Norwegian consumers have a strong interest Pharmacy products 28 %
in cross-border online shopping. The German Home electronics 27 %
fashion giant Zalando tops the list of favorites,
but the American marketplaces Wish and eBay Books and media 21 %
are also popular among Norwegians. In addi- Sports and leisure 19 %
tion to the foreign online stores, Norway has
Groceries 18 %
many domestic companies with large market
shares. Dietary supplements 16 %
43Spotlight on Poland
Vignette
Poland:
A red-hot e-commerce market
oland has historically not had an
e-commerce market to speak of, but
“Last year, 85% of the
P this is about to change. Last year,
85% of the country’s population
shopped online, an increase of 2%
compared to the previous year.
country’s population
shopped online, an
Poland is a country in transition that
increase of 2% compared
has seen strong economic growth in to the previous year.”
recent years. This, combined with the
short distance to Sweden, has made
the country attractive for several company Desenio and the moped
Swedish e-commerce market partici- entrepreneurs at Wässla have chosen
pants. For example, the recently listed to open up e-commerce in Poland.
POSTNORD • E-COMMERCE IN EUROPE 2021
Percentage of e-commerce consumers Agerage for Europe
that have shopped from abroad
Percentage who shopped online more often due to coronavirus 43 %
Average purchase per month (EUR) EUR 108
Percentage of e-commerce consumers abroad 59 %
Percentage of e-commerce consumers 85 %
Internet penetration 87 %
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