Across the EU consumers are purchasing more goods and services online, but they prefer domestic retailers. It is especially lack of trust and practical difficulties that prevent consumers from engaging in cross-border e-commerce.
Considerable welfare gains
E-commerce entails considerable welfare gains for consumers in terms of low prices and wide selections of goods.Currently, e-commerce accounts for 3.4 percent of EU retail trade, and the current consumer welfare gain from e-commerce due to lower prices and wider selections is in the magnitude of EUR 11.7 billion or 0.12 percent of GDP in EU.
High income increase
Expanding e-commerce and removing internal trade obstacles are important drivers for growth in the Single Market. If e-commerce where to increase its share of EU retail trade and reach 15 percent of total retail sales, the total welfare gain would amount to EUR 204 billion, or 1.7 percent of EU GDP. On average, European citizens would then experience an income increase of approximately EUR 1,000.