Börse Express – “eCommerce map of Austria”: 9,000 AT webshops rely on digitization
Handelsverband, Österreichische Post & UNITO Group presented the country’s first eCommerce map with 160 leading service providers.
Austrian online retail was able to look forward to an all-time high in spending in 2021. For the first time, private household spending (excluding car sales) exceeded the 8,315 million euro mark (+10% growth). Everything is different this year: In the second quarter alone, e-commerce sales in this country fell by -4.8% adjusted for inflation, according to Statistics Austria. For the Full year 2022 the trade association and Kreutzer, Fischer & Partner expect retail-relevant online editions of approx 8.5 billion euros – and thus for the first time in more than a decade real minus of -3%. The online rate of retail-related spending will increase from 11.9% in 2021 11.6% shrink.
Substantial gains in shares can only be expected in the health care, body care and cosmetics sectors, while there will be a moderate increase in electrical appliances & IT and printing works. E-commerce is declining this year, especially for fashion and sporting goods. For example, the online quota in the clothing segment falls from 30% to 25%, for sporting goods from 18% to 16%. However, online retail is not only fighting stagnant sales figuresbut also with the high inflation (last +11%), staff shortage (44%) as well as explode energy and logistics costs.
The number of active Austrian web shops rises to over 9,000
The positive news: Despite all the challenges and multiple crises, more and more domestic retailers are relying on digitization. “9.00 Austrian web shops form the core of the Austrian eCommerce scene, which defies the current crises. For the first time in its history, the domestic online trade has to cope with a real drop in sales this year. In the meantime, 84% of all retail companies in the country still operate their own website in order to be found digitally and more than 35% sell successfully via the Internet – including cross-border. The Austrian web shops generate a gross annual turnover of 4.8 billion euros“, summarizes trade association managing director Rainer Will.
On the consumer side, the number of online shoppers according to KMU Forschung Austria 5.4 million increased (+3% compared to 2021). The average eCommerce expenditure of Austrians is currently per capita 1,930 euros per year. The top product groups are clothing/textiles, electronics and furniture/decoration.
72% struggle with delivery delays – relief in sight
In terms of delivery delays and bottlenecks, the situation has eased slightly compared to the previous year, according to a recent retailer survey by the trade association (n=156). Still fighting at the moment 72% of domestic online and omnichannel retailers with delivery delays and supplier failures. Meager two-thirds (65%) expect in their segment Delivery passes in the Christmas business. Consumers are therefore well advised to get their Christmas presents if possible.
Black Friday heralds Christmas shopping: 77% buy on November 25th. already presents
Speaking of prospects: November and December are traditionally the months with the highest sales for the domestic trade, which in many sectors decide on a successful offer. “Black Friday” (11/25/2022) and “cyber monday” (November 28, 2022) are the names of the two upcoming days of action, which are now among the most important shopping dates of the year in this country and herald the Christmas business.
More than are planning this year three quarters of Austrians (77%)to use these special shopping days to buy the first Christmas gifts. During the Black Friday and Cyber Monday week of 2022, domestic consumers will spend an average of 297 euros – exactly the same as last year. Overall, this means a nationwide retail turnover of approx 450 million euros. “On the expected special shopping days of Black Friday and Christmas, the lion’s share WILL be sold online. With regard to the delivery delays, the following applies to customers: who buys early, buys well“, rat Rainer Will.
“Online retail had two incredibly good years in 2020 and 2021. It’s impossible to say for sure right now, but 2022 will likely end with stagnation or decline in the online market. It is a completely normal development that after two years in which online trade has grown like crazy, it stagnates for a year or goes down again“, says Harald Gutschi, Vice President of the Trade Association and Managing Director of the UNITO/OTTO Group.
“I am very optimistic for 2023 and expect normal development with online growth of 5 to 8% and eCommerce sales well above the pre-pandemic level. In the non-food sector, every fifth euro is currently spent in online retail, and in three to five years it will be every third euro“, So Goody.
B2C parcel volume is at the high level of the previous year
With a view to the Christmas business, the question of the development of the parcel volume in the B2C area also arises year after year. In the last decade, this can only go in one direction: steeply upwards. 2021 were loud in Austria Brancheradar.com delivered a total of more than 139 million parcels to private households. That B2C parcel volume will also be at the high level of the previous year in 2022.
“In the last two years of the pandemic, our parcel volumes have increased by 40% to 184 million parcels due to the lockdown. In the meantime, the numbers have leveled off at a high level. We are expecting a volume at the previous year’s level this year“, approved Peter UmundBoard Director for Parcel & Logistics at Österreichische Post AG.
Brand new: “eCommerce map Austria 2023”
As part of today’s press conference, the “eCommerce map Austria 2023” with the 160 leading eCommerce service providers presents. The card covers 11 key areas of online trading from: shop systems; shop directories; marketplaces & platforms; Payment; Creditworthiness, Identity & Loyalty; fulfillment; Delivery; analytics; customer service; Seal of quality & legal certainty as well as Enterprise & B2B partners. They are intended to give retailers a compact overview of the Austrian online retail ecosystem and to depict the most important players.
The map created jointly by the post office and the trade association is intended to updated regularly and be further developed. Service providers have the opportunity to position themselves and their services in future editions of the “eCommerce map of Austria”.
“We want to increase the Austrian quota in eCommerce. SO that domestic trade can benefit more from the high parcel volumes, we have launched the eCommerce map together with the trade association. Retailers thus receive a compact overview of red-white-red service providers in online trading“, So all around finally.
The “eCommerce map of Austria” can be downloaded free of charge from www.handelsverband.at/ecommercemap