The number of online shoppers in Europe decreased by 1 percent in 2023. However, the number of regular online shoppers remained stable. And 7 out of 10 of these regular online shoppers were active on C2C platforms, where they bought or sold secondhand products.
These data come from the E-Shopper Barometer 2023 by Geopost, a French logistics company. The report provides insights into the latest developments and trends in online shopping. More than 24,000 Europeans in 22 countries between the ages of 18 and 70 participated.
Key takeaways from the E-Shopper Barometer 2023 summarized:
- E-commerce is deeply ingrained in the habits of E-shoppers, despite economic challenges. The convenience and affordability of online shopping are appreciated, particularly for everyday essentials like groceries and health products.
- The share of European online shoppers slightly decreased over the past two years, while regular online shoppers remained stable. The attachment to online shopping remains strong, seen as a time and stress saver.
- Price sensitivity is high, with online shopping viewed as a means to save money, even though there is less willingness to pay more for eco-friendly products.
- Out-of-home delivery is gaining popularity, with increased usage of parcel shops and lockers.
- The use of C2C platforms and social media for shopping is prevalent, especially for buying and selling used products.
- Perception of the delivery experience is stabilizing, albeit remaining below previous levels. Main complaints revolve around product transparency, availability, and delivery delays, with familiarity with the delivery company remaining crucial.
Popular secondhand platforms:
The use of consumer-to-consumer (C2C) platforms is widespread among these regular shoppers. At least 70 percent bought or sold on these platforms in 2023. A third said that their purchases of secondhand products had increased. And consumers mostly sold on these platforms to free up space at home.
Dutch online shoppers use second-hand platforms more often than shoppers from other countries.
There are differences when we look at consumers in each country. Within the Netherlands, 77 percent of online shoppers bought or sold on second-hand platforms. In Italy, that share was 66 percent. In the United Kingdom, the share was 74 percent, in Germany it was 73 percent and in France it was 75 percent.
7 out of 10 used social media for online shopping:
At the same time, social media is also ingrained in online shopping. Last year, 70 percent of regular online shoppers used social media to get inspiration or information. And 48 percent bought products directly through social media platforms.