Federica Laricchia
Research expert covering the global consumer technology industry
Get in touch with us nowPhysical retail stores still have advantages over eCommerce platforms
Physical stores continue to excel at certain aspects that online shops do not do yet, such as seeing and touching the product, or face-to-face customer support. The American giant BestBuy had over one thousand stores, whereas the Chinese GOME had more than 4,000 as the most recent data shows. Regarding Europe, Germany was the country with the largest number of consumer electronics retailer chains, followed by the United Kingdom and the Netherlands. In Germany, Ceconomy, which includes MediaMarkt and Saturn, is the most popular consumer electronics retailer, with a 2022 revenue of just under ten billion euros. Moreover, headquartered in London, Currys, formerly Dixons Carphone, counts 830 stores in the United Kingdom and abroad.Consumer electronics eCommerce progressively gaining popularity
Although some consumers still prefer physical stores and the traditional shopping process, eCommerce has expanded over the globe in recent years. Online sales increased significantly during the lockdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2022, around 770 billion U.S. dollars were spent to purchase electronic devices online worldwide. Digital buyers - internet users who have made at least one purchase via any digital channel in a given year, including online, mobile, and tablet purchases - contribute to the booming eCommerce scene. The consumer electronics eCommerce market counts numerous players, with Amazon being the leading electronics and media online retail store. Other popular online stores within the industry are Apple and JD.com, as well as retailers like Suning and BestBuy.
