Online retail growing in Europe, says report

3 December 2007

Europe is embracing internet shopping, with the number of people visiting web retail sites growing by five per cent in the 12 months following October 2006, according to a new report.

The comScore World Metrix audience measurement service shows that 160.6 million people visited online retail websites in October 2007.

UK growth surpassed the European average, recording an 11 per cent gain between October 2006 and the corresponding month in 2007, the figures indicate.

And the web shopping market now accounts for 70 per cent of Europe's population, pointed out Bob Ivins, executive vice-president of European markets at comScore.

"The stronger than average growth rates in the UK and France portend a healthy Christmas shopping season there," he remarked.

Meanwhile, a new study by Alliance & Leicester has found that 83 per cent of expatriates regularly shop on the internet - a statistic that the financial services provider claimed is evidence of the way in which the internet has revolutionised the lives of people who relocate to another country.

Category: Online marketing