Shoppers around the whole world have become increasingly technology savvy, honed their online purchasing skills, and learned how to find the best price from every corner of the world. The smartphones have played a vital role in researching and purchasing leading to a positive user experience can reward retailers with increased customer satisfaction and loyalty. In the same context, UPS has conducted a new study on the European market and the data revealed that the European online shoppers are more likely to buy globally, purchase on mobile devices, and rely on online marketplaces.

Take a glimpse at some of the top line findings:

Cross-Border Shopping in Europe in 2017

• 71% of European online shoppers have purchased from an international retailer in 2017.
• 73% of them have purchased from a retailer within Europe, compared to 57% who have done so but from a retailer outside Europe.
• The better prices internationally is the main reason for shopping from international retailers with a rate of 40%, followed by the non-availability of brands in the home country (39%) and the desire to have something unique (33%).
• The payment security is the top considerations when making an international purchase with a rate of 75%, followed by the clear cost of the order including duties and fees (72%) and the clear returns policy (65%).

Mobile Shopping in Europe in 2017

• 43% of all smartphone users in Europe have made a purchase on their phone. 72% of them are satisfied with their smartphone shopping experience, and 26% plan to shop more on a smartphone in the future.
• Digital payment tools and credit card (Visa/MasterCard) are the most preferred payment methods for smartphone shoppers in Europe with rates of 30% and 28%, respectively.
• In terms of the most important retail app features for mobile shoppers in Europe, the acceptance of payment methods such as Apple Pay or PayPal ranked the top with a rate of 43%, followed by the high-quality of product images (42%), and the ability to read product reviews.

Shopping From Marketplaces Versus Physical Stores in Europe

• 96% of online shoppers in Europe have purchased from a marketplace, with 84% consider that shopping in a store is still a major part of their retail experience.
• The better prices (67%) is the main driver for purchasing from a marketplace instead of a retailer, followed far by the broader selection of products (43%) and free or discounted shipping (41%).
• In contrast, 52% of European online shoppers would purchase from a physical store instead of online to touch and feel products, while 50% said to solve an immediate need.
• Amazon and eBay are the top two marketplaces that European shoppers purchased from except in Poland, where shoppers have a preference for local marketplaces Allegro and Zalando.

A Figure Shows the Top Two Marketplaces in Europe in 2017

The European Purchasing Journey

• 20% of shoppers in Europe go to Amazon and 12% go to a marketplace other than Amazon to make their initial shopping search.
• The product prices (76%) and detailed product information (71%) are the most important factors when searching for and selecting products online.
• In terms of checking out online, free shipping (71%), having a variety of payment (62%), and the guaranteed delivery date (62%) are the most important options.
• In contrast, there are reasons for abandoning an online shopping cart, shipping costs ranked the top with a rate of 47%, followed far by the unavailability of items in stock (39%).
• The vast majority of European shoppers (51%) prefer to have their orders delivered to their homes, while on average, online shoppers 41% have of their orders delivered to alternative locations.

A Pie Chart Shows the Single-Channel Vs. Multi-Channel Purchasing in Europe in 2017

Methodology:

Data were driven from 6,478 European Online Shoppers from France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, and the UK. All respondents made at least two online purchases in a typical three-month period. The study was conducted in Q3 2017.