AliExpress, the international online retail marketplace of Alibaba International Digital Commerce Group, has published its first Consumer Insights Report examining the online shopping landscape in Europe. The report surveyed consumers in France, Germany, Spain and the UK and aimed to uncover key trends and insights into European consumers’ online behavior and shopping habits.
Online shopping remains popular
The figures confirm that online shopping remains very popular across Europe – 94 percent of consumers surveyed said they had spent money online in the last three months. Germany (96 percent) and Spain (95 percent) were the most likely to have shopped online, followed by the still very popular 90 percent of UK consumers.
Online spending is also holding up, with almost half (49 percent) of consumers having spent more than £251 (British consumers)/€288 (Spanish, French and German consumers) online in the last three months. In France, the figure is as high as 53 percent, and in Germany, it is 52 percent. On average, almost a fifth (19 percent) of consumers spent between £301-500 / €403-575 online in the same period.
Regarding purchase frequency, almost two-thirds (61 percent) of shoppers said they bought five or more items online from the three months to November 2023.
Top shopping categories
The research shows that the top five categories across all markets are:
- Clothing, underwear, nightwear and footwear
- Beauty and health
- Toys and hobbies
- Sports and entertainment
- Telephones and telecommunications
Spanish consumers are the most sporty shoppers: 58 percent buy products from the sports and entertainment sector.
The most popular products among French consumers come from the beauty and health category.
British consumers are most likely to buy wedding and events products online, with more than a quarter (26 percent) saying they have spent money in this category.
Almost 79 percent of German consumers have purchased clothing items online in the last three months, with nearly 25 percent spending between €81 and €172 on average.
Time spent online
On average, 29 percent of consumers spent 1 to 2 hours per week browsing and researching products online. The Spanish proved to be the most thorough online visitors, with 25 percent spending between 9 and 10 hours online per week. In all four markets, French consumers spent the least time online. This applies to all age groups.
Shopping channels
The research found that the top five categories in all markets are as follows:
- Online marketplaces
- Website of the retailer
- Mobile app of the retailer
- Second-hand platforms
- Stores on social media
Online marketplaces were the most popular shopping channel in the last three months. 50 percent of consumers said they had shopped via this channel. However, the over 55-year-olds said they prefer to go directly to the retailer’s website.
Shopping via social media was most popular among 16-24-year-olds (26 percent), dropping to 8 percent among those over 55. Across all age groups, people shopped more via influencer-sponsored posts than celebrity-sponsored ads - indicating a cultural shift in the power of celebrities and the rise of influencers, who are believed to connect more authentically with their audience.
Livestreaming remains an up-and-coming shopping channel and was more popular with male consumers than females. It was also the most popular in France compared to other markets.
