E-commerce keeps expanding
More than 50% of internet users make online purchases, more than double the percentage of 10 years ago, pointing to the incredible momentum of e-commerce.
In fact, the share of web use for purchases from online stores is still increasing despite the fact that there are no longer restrictive measures on the movement of people and the operation of physical stores, as was the case in 2020 and 2021. Although turnover from the electronic sales channel is still below 10% of the total turnover of businesses, it is on the rise and now its share is almost six times what it was a decade ago.
In particular, according to data released on Monday by the Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT), 55.3% of the population aged 16-74 who have used the internet made an online purchase, ordered goods or paid for services over the internet for personal use during the first quarter of 2023.
The corresponding percentage in 2022 had been 53.2%. It was, however, a year when a decline was recorded after the explosion in e-commerce in 2020 (47.8%) and 2021 (58.3%), though 10 years ago, in 2013, that rate was just 27%.
The increasing penetration of e-commerce, albeit at a lower pace compared to the period of the lockdowns, is also confirmed by business data. Out of a total of 42,451 businesses with a staff of 10 or more, 8,321 received electronic orders, with the turnover from electronic sales reaching 25 billion euros, an amount corresponding to 7.1% of their total turnover. The corresponding percentage in 2022 had been 6.9%, while in 2013 it was only 1.21%. Turnover includes sales, online orders, accommodation reservations and travel bookings.
Clothing, meals, tickets, sports gear as well as movies and TV series are the goods and services that consumers mainly buy on the internet.
In the first quarter of 2023, of those who made purchases from online stores, 73.6% bought clothes, shoes and fashion accessories, 44.1% ordered food and 27.3% bought sporting goods, excluding sportswear and footwear.
