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Global E-Commerce on the Rise
30/6/01



The proportion of Internet users globally who have shopped online has increased by 50% over the last twelve months, according to the findings of a new 36-country study published by Taylor Nelson Sofres Interactive (TNSi). Some 15% of all Internet users shopped online in the past month, compared with 10% 12 months ago.

The research - based on more than 42,000 interviews across Europe, North and South America and Asia-Pacific - also shows that the proportion of Internet users who have shopped offline (again, in the past month) as a result of information found online is 15%. This suggests that a total of around 27% of users worldwide are now shopping directly or indirectly via the Internet (NB: Some shoppers purchased both online and offline).

The findings also show that whilst the highest proportion of Internet users worldwide are under 30 years of age, those who are most likely to make an online purchase are between 30 and 40 years old, with just 7% of the under-20s shopping online. This may be explained by the more limited availability of credit facilities to the younger age group, but still demonstrates a clear opportunity for online marketers to use youth-orientated websites to encourage more direct sales (ie offline shopping) amongst younger users.

The study reveals that online providers of products and services may be going some way towards reassuring Internet users on security issues. Worldwide, less than four out of 10 users who have not and do not plan to shop online stated that concerns regarding disclosing their credit card details, or associated security problems, were reasons for not doing so. Over 60% cited a wide range of other reasons ranging from it being "easier and more fun to buy goods or services in a store" to the fact that they thought the "time taken to deliver goods is too long."

Other key findings include:


  • Across all countries surveyed, some 31% of the total adult population have used the Internet during the past month (36% of males and 27% of females). The biggest increases have been in Germany (from 28% to 36%) and Great Britain (from 27% to 34%).
  • Some 17% of Internet users say that they plan to buy or order goods or services online within the next 6 months – this is highest in Japan, with 41% of users.
  • The most popular items purchased online continue to be books (by 26% of online shoppers) and CDs/music (17%), although compared with 12 months ago, a smaller proportion of shoppers has purchased both of these items in 2001. Other popular items include clothes (13%), groceries/food (8%) and holidays/leisure travel (9%).
  • The USA maintains its position as the country with the largest percentage of online shoppers (33% now of all Internet users, compared with 27% in 2000).
  • The price of products and services over the Internet is not a significant issue, with just 6% of non-shoppers saying that they did not buy online for price-related reasons.


According to Arno Hummerston, Director, TNSi, "These findings show that online shopping is continuing to undergo significant growth worldwide, despite the much publicised problems of the industry. In part, this is because of increasing confidence in online properties – especially in the more established e-markets. However, it is also the result of a growing number of users in emerging markets shopping online for the first time. What is encouraging is that the range of products and services purchased via the Internet is increasing, and that there is a more obvious success in the integration of offline and online activities. It appears that the e-commerce world is realising that it exists within an offline world and not in an independent environment. At the same time, clear differences are emerging in purchasing patterns – for example, between different age groups. These, in turn, will create new challenges for retailers (and not just e-tailers) worldwide. A study on this scale, whilst it demonstrates that some e-commerce trends are shared across all markets, also helps to show that internet shoppers worldwide by no means share the same expectations of an "online related retail experience"."

Copies of the Global e-Commerce Report are available at www.tnsofres.com/ger2001

The second Taylor Nelson Sofres Interactive Global e-Commerce Report involved interviewing 42,742 people across 36 countries/territories between March and May 2001.