UPS highlights opportunities in European cross-border online shopping

Seven in 10 European online shoppers bought items from retailers outside their home country, according to the 2017 UPS Europe Pulse of the Online Shopper™ study.

This cross border buying was “mainly because of better prices and the search for a specific brand or product”.

In a statement issued today (5 February), UPS said: “This demonstrates not only opportunities for retailers that connect with customers in different geographies, but that retailers also need to provide a personalized, broad range of services to meet online shoppers’ expectations.

The study found that top considerations when purchasing from retailers in another country include: payment security (75 percent); clearly stating the total cost of the order including duties and fees (72 percent); a clear returns policy (63 percent); stating all prices in the shopper’s native currency (63 percent); and the speed of delivery (62 percent).”

Abhijit Saha, vice president of Marketing, UPS Europe, commented: “The internet has made shopping truly global, enabling retailers to market and sell their products to customers worldwide. Our research shows that nearly three-quarters of European online shoppers buy from countries outside their own, so opportunity is rife for both small and large retailers looking to expand their businesses.”

UPS added that more than half (52%) of online shoppers in Europe consider the number of shipping options offered key when searching for and selecting products online, while 75% consider free return shipping important. Additionally, 63% of shoppers are interested in shipping to an alternative location with extended hours, if fees are less than shipping to their home.