Online shopping across the border is still unpopular

Consumers are still cautious when it comes to online shopping across the border. Only 9 percent of European consumers dare to make an online purchase across the border. The main reasons for the reluctance are fear of fraud and scams and language and delivery problems. This while Eurocommissioner Neelie Kroes with her Digital Agenda hopes that in 2015 twenty percent of all Europeans are shopping online abroad.

Many fears unfounded
Research by the European Union shows that fear of fraud and scams dominate among 62 percent of consumers. In addition, 49 percent of people are afraid of delivery problems. A fear that is unfounded according to the survey: Only five percent of purchases made abroad were not delivered, compared to 6 percent for domestic deliveries.

There are also more delays within a countries boundaries (18 percent) than in the delivery across the border (sixteen percent). Not only the fear of consumers provides a barrier, many retailers do not deliver (more) abroad. In 2009 one quarter of the retailers provided to foreign consumers in 2010 this was only 22 percent. Kroes wants the European market to become also digitally one market. Just recently a new European Directive was adopted; the Single Market Act: a series of measures that should give a new impulse to the internal European market.

Source: Webwereld