Ecommerce Europe and EuroCommerce jointly published the 2023 European E-commerce Report on 25 September.
In 2022, the European B2C e-commerce turnover increased from €849 billion in 2021 to €899 billion in 2022, despite a shifting economic and political environment. Although the growth rate for 2022, reaching 6%, compares lower than in 2021 (12%), the sector continues to move forward and is expected to continue growing in 2023.
Throughout 2022, Europe was heavily affected by the impact of the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine, not least the high inflation rates putting downward pressure on consumers’ purchasing power. The report highlights that higher prices were the main driver in the increase in e-commerce turnover in several European countries. However, the lower volumes were partly compensated by a surge in online service purchases (e.g., travel). At the same time, European decision-makers stand a chance to adapt the regulatory landscape to the challenges and opportunities posed by the digital and green transitions.
To illustrate the significant impact of inflation on the sector, this year’s report added inflation-adjusted growth numbers for Europe and all its regions. In 2021, European inflation-adjusted e-commerce growth was still very strong (+9%), but it plunged in 2022 due to the inflation shock, shrinking for the first time ever (-2%). The only regions without e-commerce decline in 2022 were Eastern Europe (+5%) and Southern Europe (+13%). In 2023, e-commerce started recovering as inflation declined, leading us to project a return to growth in 2023 (+2%).
The report also identifies technological progress (e.g., 5G, AR/VR, digital wallet) and new shop solutions (e.g., SaaS) as drivers of deeper e-commerce penetration and, thus, as an opportunity to smoothen regional divides. Another aspect raised by the report is the growing demand for more sustainable e-commerce, which is expected to build on more efficient deliveries and returns, as well as greener consumption and production patterns. Overall, the report’s key findings suggest that the sector is developing the needed resilience to overcome the multifaceted challenges of our times.
Luca Cassetti, Secretary General of Ecommerce Europe, commented: “2022 marked the 30th anniversary of the EU Single Market, and while Ecommerce Europe recognises the important steps undertaken over the years, we also see that businesses are still faced with significant barriers, especially in relation to cross-border selling. Policymakers have a responsibility to reduce market fragmentation and remove red tape for cross-border business operations. Designing future-proof and channel-neutral policies, capable of adapting to evolving companies’ and consumers’ expectations while considering business realities, will be paramount when the next EU cycle starts”.
Christel Delberghe, Director General of EuroCommerce, commented: “The consumer journey is rapidly changing and combining online and offline interaction has become the new normal. In 2022, with inflation soaring, consumers became a lot more price-sensitive. They increasingly looked to save money and did so also by comparing and diversifying their online and offline shopping channels. We expect online sales to keep growing in the coming years, reaching an estimated 30% of retail sales by 2030. Being present online has become vital for many retailers, especially for smaller businesses.”
EuroCommerce is the principal European organisation representing the retail and wholesale sector. It embraces national associations in 27 countries and 5 million companies, including leading global players and many small businesses. Over a billion times a day, retailers and wholesalers distribute goods and provide an essential service to millions of business and individual customers. The sector generates 1 in 7 jobs, offering a varied career to 26 million Europeans, many of them young people. It also supports millions of further jobs throughout the supply chain, from small local suppliers to international businesses. EuroCommerce is the recognised European social partner for the retail and wholesale sector.
