Try our business solution for free!

Retail trade in Europe - Statistics and Facts

The retail industry is a key part of consumers' lives in Europe. In 2021, retail spending constituted a large proportion of private consumption in all European countries, i.e., typically between 30 and 50 percent. The largest and most important retail market in Europe in terms of turnover was the German market, with a value of roughly 640 billion euros in 2019. Following Germany, the largest economies in Europe were France, the United Kingdom, and Italy, respectively. These are however not necessarily the markets with the greatest levels of retail sales growth in recent times. In 2021, that honor went to Lithuania and Estonia, both of which experienced a retail sales volume increase of over ten percent compared to the previous year. By contrast, no growth was recorded in countries like Norway and Denmark in 2021.

Leading players of European retail

Some of the most valuable brands in Europe in 2022 included many household names, from Mercedes-Benz to EY. When it came to retail specifically, Louis Vuitton, Nestlé, and Aldi were among the continent’s largest in terms of brand value. Nestlé and LVMH (Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE) also topped the list of the leading consumer goods companies in Europe, with a market capitalization of more than 300 billion euros each in 2021. Based on sheer turnover, however, the German company Schwarz Gruppe, which owns major franchises such as Lidl and Kaufland, was Europe’s leading retailer. At more than 100 billion euros’ worth of turnover in 2020, the retail company had a big lead over competitors, such as Aldi, Carrefour, or even Tesco.

Online retail

Although the majority of retail transactions still take place offline, online retail gained more and more prominence over the last few years. One factor that accelerated the transition to online retail was the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Surveys showed that in several European countries, in both 2020 and 2021, more consumers shopped online as a result of the impact of the pandemic on their shopping habits. In 2021, overall e-commerce revenue in Europe was valued at approximately 465 million U.S. dollars, and according to recent Statista forecasts this is expected to keep growing in the coming years, to approximately 570 million U.S. dollars by 2025. While in 2021 there were roughly 500 million consumers who purchased goods online, by 2023, this figure was already projected to reach over 540 million.
This text provides general information. Statista assumes no liability for the information given being complete or correct. Due to varying update cycles, statistics can display more up-to-date data than referenced in the text.
Published by Statista Research Department, Nov 17, 2022

Key insights

Year-on-year retail trade sales growth in the EU-27
5.5%
Leading European cosmetic brand by brand value
L'Oréal
Leading mass-market prime high street in Europe, by footfall
Schildergasse (Cologne)
Get more insights

Company Insights Europe’s Fastest-Growing Companies

Add-On
Europe’s Fastest-Growing Companies
View complete top 100 ranking

Editor’s Picks Current statistics on this topic

Retail e-commerce revenue in Europe from 2017 to 2025 (in billion U.S. dollars)

Key Figures of E-Commerce

E-commerce revenue in Europe 2017-2025

Leading 20 European luxury goods companies based on sales worldwide in 2021 (in million U.S. dollars)

Luxury Goods

Leading 20 European luxury goods companies based on sales 2021

Revenue of the apparel market in the United Kingdom (UK) from 2013 to 2026 (in billion GBP)

Fashion & Accessories

Revenue of the apparel market in the UK 2013-2026

Related topics

Recommended

5

Recommended statistics

Overview

8

Overview

Leading companies and brands

7

Leading companies and brands

Supermarkets & food retail chains

8

Supermarkets & food retail chains

Retail industry in Europe's largest economies

12

Retail industry in Europe's largest economies

E-commerce

6

E-commerce

Reports & StudiesGet the best reports to understand your industry

Online retailers in Germany
Online retailers in Germany
Textile and clothing retail in Germany
Textile and clothing retail in Germany
Retail trade in the United Kingdom (UK)
Retail trade in the United Kingdom (UK)
Retail trade in the Netherlands
Retail trade in the Netherlands
Retail trade in Belgium
Retail trade in Belgium

Contact

Get in touch with us. We are happy to help.
Statista Locations
Contact Vayola Jocelyn
Vayola Jocelyn
Client Support Specialist– Contact (United States)
Email
support@statista.com

Mon - Fri, 9am - 6pm (EST)

Contact Yolanda Mega
Yolanda Mega
Operations Manager– Contact (Asia)
Email
asia.support@statista.com

Mon - Fri, 9am - 5pm (SGT)

Contact Kisara Mizuno
Kisara Mizuno
Senior Business Development Manager– Contact (Asia)
Email
support.japan@statista.com

Mon - Fri, 10:00am - 6:00pm (JST)

Contact Lodovica Biagi
Lodovica Biagi
Director of Operations– Contact (Europe)
Email
eu.support@statista.com

Mon - Fri, 9:30am - 5pm (GMT)

Contact Carolina Dulin
Carolina Dulin
Associate Director - LAC– Contact (Latin America)
Email
support@statista.com

Mon - Fri, 9am - 6pm (EST)

Menu