A guide to e-commerce in Europe - Enterprise Europe Network

A guide to e-commerce in Europe

Introduction

The guide is designed to help: ? Enterprise Europe Network advisers support their clients looking to develop their business online. ? Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) expand their business into other European markets via online channels and become more competitive. This guide has been produced by the Retail Sector Group of the Network: a team of 14 advisers, supporting business within the retail supply chain. Our group includes advisers from Italy, Belgium, Croatia, Greece, Portugal, United Kingdom, Ireland, Germany and Malta. If you're looking for support to grow your business, we can help. Get in touch with your local Network contact point1!

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

The e-commerce Market in the European Union .............................................. 4 1. Europe ? B2C e-market value .................................................................. 4 2. A two-digit growth forecast in Europe ....................................................... 4 3. M-commerce in Europe ............................................................................ 5 4. Low European cross-border e-commerce figures..................................... 6 5. The omnichannel experience in Europe ................................................... 6 6. 2017 onwards challenges for retailers ...................................................... 7 7. Country legal check .................................................................................. 7 8. Some EU-wide legal points to check out .................................................. 8

How can I start selling online in the European Union?...................................... 9 1. Types of sellers in 2017............................................................................ 9 2. E-commerce strategy and plan................................................................. 9 3. E-commerce strategy and planning - core considerations...................... 11

Solution 1 ? Self hosted website ..................................................................... 12 Examples...................................................................................................... 12

Solution 2 ? Hosted e-commerce solutions..................................................... 13 Examples...................................................................................................... 13 Choose your e-marketplace carefully ........................................................... 14 Examples...................................................................................................... 14

Country Data ................................................................................................... 15

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Country name: BELGIUM............................................................................. 15 Country name: CROATIA ............................................................................. 17

Market characteristics ................................................................................................................ 19 Tips ............................................................................................................................................ 20 Sources...................................................................................................................................... 20

Country name: FRANCE .............................................................................. 22

Country characteristics .............................................................................................................. 25 Tips ............................................................................................................................................ 25 Sources...................................................................................................................................... 26

Country name: GREECE.............................................................................. 27

Country characteristics .............................................................................................................. 29

Country name: REPUBLIC OF IRELAND .................................................... 31 Country name: ITALY ................................................................................... 33

Country characteristics .............................................................................................................. 36 Sources...................................................................................................................................... 36

Country name: MALTA ................................................................................. 37 Country name: POLAND .............................................................................. 40

Country specifics ....................................................................................................................... 41 Sources:..................................................................................................................................... 42

Country name: UNITED KINGDOM ............................................................. 43

Country characteristics .............................................................................................................. 45 Tips ............................................................................................................................................ 45 Sources:..................................................................................................................................... 46

Disclaimer ....................................................................................................... 47

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The e-commerce Market in the European Union

1. Europe ? B2C e-market value

Region Europe West Central South North East

Market value 455 bn 252.9 bn 89 bn 50.9 bn 37.6 bn 24.5 bn

Growth rate 14/15 +13.3% +12.9% +14.2% +17.1% +10.9% +9.1%

e-shoppers internet Parcels sent users annually Estimated online businesses

296 million 516 million 4bn 715,000+

2. A two-digit growth forecast in Europe

The online retail sector is the main driver of growth in the European retail sector. While e-commerce growth rates hit 18.4% in 2014 and 18.6% in 2015, growth is expected to carry on in the coming years with Retail Research predicting 16.7% growth in 2016 and 15.7% in 2017.

The UK, Germany and France are the biggest online markets in Europe. They do not only hold the largest online share of retail trade in their respective markets, but are also together responsible for 81.5% of European sales.)2

2 The source of data above is from Twenga Solutions:

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18%

16%

14%

12% 10%

8%

2014 2015 2016

6%

4%

2%

0% United Kingdom Germany

Figure 1 Online Share of Retail Trade

France

Europe

Source: Retail research

3. M-commerce in Europe

M-commerce (mobile commerce) is the buying and selling of goods and services through wireless handheld devices such as cellular telephone and personal digital assistants (PDAs). Besides consumer expectations regarding services, the way to reach new clients also varies significantly per country. In our most recent m-commerce study, we studied the importance of mobile and found that while 31.1% of e-commerce traffic is on mobile in the UK, this rate stood at just 8.3% for Poland.

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4. Low European cross-border e-commerce figures

Today, 57% of European Internet users shop online, but only 16% of SMEs sell online ? and less than half of those sell online across borders (7.5%)3. Main reasons for not selling online:

- Overly restrictive regulations - Not a strategic priority for the company - Lack of resources - Already attempted but abandoned - Foreign markets are too competitive on our range of products Some cross-border data for each EU market can be obtained here:

5. The omnichannel experience in Europe

"Whether their business is online, in physical stores or both, all retailers face similar challenges. They have to deliver a seamless customer experience at every touchpoint, maximize sales across every channel and device, and live up to their promises regarding product availability and delivery. In order to create a strong retail brand to which consumers will return, they must turn shopping into retail therapy ? effortless, relaxing and ultimately enjoyable. Customer experiences should not happen by accident, but must be engineered. This means that one should really understand his customer's journey and its moments of truth, and base his next best actions on smart and predictive data analytics. An omnichannel approach to service and sales is powering the retailers' ability to win hearts, minds and revenue share." Gert-Jan Morsink, Member Executive Board Webhelp Group 90% of Spanish and 80% of Dutch retailers have already linked their online-to-store channels.

3 Source: (page 13)

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6. 2017 onwards challenges for retailers

Difficult economic environment

2%

Logistics

Understanding the online performance with the right reporting

Technical development and problems on site

3% 5% 6%

Customer support

7%

Brand visibility

Competition with other e-commerce site

Profitability of my business

Acquiring new customers

0%

5% 10%

13% 13%

15%

20%

23% 27%

25% 30%

7. Country legal check

It is essential that any company checks the following legal requirements in each EU country before they sell in them:

Shopping ? Your rights Contract information Pricing and payments VAT - Value Added Tax VAT threshold registration Shipping and delivery Guarantees and returns Consumer rights Privacy and Communication EC Directive / Anti-spam regulations

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8. Some EU-wide legal points to check out

Shopping ? Your rights

Contract information

Pricing and payments

VAT - Value Added Tax

VAT threshold registration Shipping and delivery

Guarantees and returns

Consumer rights

Privacy and Communication EC Directive / Anti-spam regulations

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