Online trade lost some importance in the past year: the online share of Austrian consumer spending fell from 16.5 to 15 percent. But this development is deceptive, according to a recent study by Regio Data. After all, online commerce has benefited in recent years from the corona pandemic and the associated lockdowns. But in the medium term, the online share – excluding groceries – will be around 50 percent.
The five largest online providers managed to maintain their position and accounted for a quarter of the online industry. Amazon has a market share of 12 percent and another 17 percent for its own marketplace. The Otto Group is – far behind – in second place with 5 percent. Zalando is third with 4 percent and IKEA is fifth with 2 percent.
However, the top 3 online providers have lost not only market share but also nominal sales. IKEA and MediaMarkt, on the other hand, were able to rise slightly. The presence of the international online providers is also reflected in the revenue: currently only 34 percent of the expenditure also benefits Austrian companies, compared to 36 percent before Corona.
Cushions for shoes and clothes
In the previous year there was a sharp decline in online trade, especially in clothing and shoes. In the clothing industry it was 9 percent, in shoes it was 8 percent. In furniture and DIY products, the online share is around 13 and 17 percent respectively, but according to the research by Regio-Data, the highest growth rates can be seen here.
In a European comparison, Austria is in the upper midfield with an online share of 15 percent, ahead of France, the Czech Republic and the Netherlands. Great Britain has the largest online share in Europe with 27 percent, followed by Germany and Denmark. Online shares have also fallen recently in Germany and Denmark.
Source: Krone
I’m Ben Stock, a journalist and author at Today Times Live. I specialize in economic news and have been working in the news industry for over five years. My experience spans from local journalism to international business reporting. In my career I’ve had the opportunity to interview some of the world’s leading economists and financial experts, giving me an insight into global trends that is unique among journalists.
