E-commerce Report 2010: Online Shoppers Interested in Minor Goods
Online shopping is becoming ever more attractive, not least for minor goods. The E-commerce Report 2010, by Deutsche Card Services, shows that the average value of online purchases has dropped back to the level registered five years ago. However, as e-commerce is continuing to grow, the decline to €65.35 does not translate into drastic sales losses, but reflects instead a change in consumers’ shopping behaviour.
“Of course, the financial crisis has not left e-commerce unaffected. However, the main reason for the decline in the average shopping cart value only becomes evident when we take a closer look at the individual transaction value categories. Consumers are increasingly losing their reluctance to buy minor goods and services online,” said Detlef Henkel, chairman of the management board of Deutsche Card Services.
“Everyday goods, services or music and video downloads all belong to the transaction value category of less than €10 – and this category almost doubled its share in overall online shopping. This development has made a significant contribution to the change in the average transaction value and confirms the encouraging trend our reports have pointed out for years: online shopping is becoming an everyday experience,” he added.
The report analyses purchasing and payment behaviour and non-payment risks in online trade and has been published since 2002.