Share of European consumers that shop online vs. offline each week 2022

Although consumers in Europe still shop in physical stores more frequently, the number of people that shop online each week is not to be discredited: in Germany, for example, nearly two in five consumers shopped online each week in 2022. Just under four in five German shoppers said they visited physical stores at least once a week. Of the countries analyzed, Finland and Norway had the lowest share of weekly online shoppers.

What do European shoppers order online?

When asked which products they mostly bought online rather than offline in 2022, consumers in various European countries opted for many of the same items. Clothing, as well as books, movies, music, and games, were among the most popular items in countries such as Germany and the United Kingdom (UK). And although these products were frequently ordered online in Italy too, the leading product category among Italian online shoppers was that of consumer electronics.

Typical shopping behavior in Europe and the U.S.

In spite of the fact that products and services can often be found more easily or for cheaper online, nearly 40 percent of shoppers in Europe and the United States still preferred shopping locally in 2021. In contrast, about a fifth of respondents had no issue switching channels, as they were mainly preoccupied with buying desired products at the best possible price.