Online shopping habits, trends and insights in Europe

Online shopping habits, trends and insights in Europe

Online shopping habits, trends and insights in Europe

Online shopping habits, trends and insights in Europe

Discover key trends, behaviours, and actionable insights to optimise your ecommerce strategy and boost sales.

Discover key trends, behaviours, and actionable insights to optimise your ecommerce strategy and boost sales.

Ecommerce-tips

Ecommerce-tips

Ecommerce-tips

19 Nov 2024

In today’s competitive ecommerce market, we place a lot of importance on statistics and metrics. But, it’s important to remember that behind the numbers are normal, everyday people just looking for things to buy. 

When it comes to choosing how and what to purchase, some people love to experiment, while others stick to what they know. But if you’re selling online, it’s vital to know how your customers search for products. And their shopping habits when they’re almost ready to buy. 

To help you answer these questions, we surveyed 10,000 consumers from five key markets in Europe – Germany, France, the Netherlands, Belgium, and the UK. 

This article uses the data to provide an in-depth analysis of consumer shopping behaviours. It focuses on the processes shoppers follow to find and purchase products online, exploring current consumer shopping habits, how they've evolved, and future trends.

In today’s competitive ecommerce market, we place a lot of importance on statistics and metrics. But, it’s important to remember that behind the numbers are normal, everyday people just looking for things to buy. 

When it comes to choosing how and what to purchase, some people love to experiment, while others stick to what they know. But if you’re selling online, it’s vital to know how your customers search for products. And their shopping habits when they’re almost ready to buy. 

To help you answer these questions, we surveyed 10,000 consumers from five key markets in Europe – Germany, France, the Netherlands, Belgium, and the UK. 

This article uses the data to provide an in-depth analysis of consumer shopping behaviours. It focuses on the processes shoppers follow to find and purchase products online, exploring current consumer shopping habits, how they've evolved, and future trends.

In today’s competitive ecommerce market, we place a lot of importance on statistics and metrics. But, it’s important to remember that behind the numbers are normal, everyday people just looking for things to buy. 

When it comes to choosing how and what to purchase, some people love to experiment, while others stick to what they know. But if you’re selling online, it’s vital to know how your customers search for products. And their shopping habits when they’re almost ready to buy. 

To help you answer these questions, we surveyed 10,000 consumers from five key markets in Europe – Germany, France, the Netherlands, Belgium, and the UK. 

This article uses the data to provide an in-depth analysis of consumer shopping behaviours. It focuses on the processes shoppers follow to find and purchase products online, exploring current consumer shopping habits, how they've evolved, and future trends.

In today’s competitive ecommerce market, we place a lot of importance on statistics and metrics. But, it’s important to remember that behind the numbers are normal, everyday people just looking for things to buy. 

When it comes to choosing how and what to purchase, some people love to experiment, while others stick to what they know. But if you’re selling online, it’s vital to know how your customers search for products. And their shopping habits when they’re almost ready to buy. 

To help you answer these questions, we surveyed 10,000 consumers from five key markets in Europe – Germany, France, the Netherlands, Belgium, and the UK. 

This article uses the data to provide an in-depth analysis of consumer shopping behaviours. It focuses on the processes shoppers follow to find and purchase products online, exploring current consumer shopping habits, how they've evolved, and future trends.

Consumer shopping behaviour

First, we asked consumers about their current shopping behaviour. 

Almost half (48%) of consumers prefer shopping online over physical stores, emphasising just how important it is to have an online presence. The outlier here is UK shoppers, who shop much more online than at physical stores.

Around 22% of people maintain an equal balance between shopping online and physical stores, showing that the in-store shopping experience is still important. This is underlined by the fact that just under a third (28%) of consumers shop in physical stores more than they do online. Again, the UK is the major outlier, with just 10% of respondents shopping in physical stores much more than shopping online.

First, we asked consumers about their current shopping behaviour. 

Almost half (48%) of consumers prefer shopping online over physical stores, emphasising just how important it is to have an online presence. The outlier here is UK shoppers, who shop much more online than at physical stores.

Around 22% of people maintain an equal balance between shopping online and physical stores, showing that the in-store shopping experience is still important. This is underlined by the fact that just under a third (28%) of consumers shop in physical stores more than they do online. Again, the UK is the major outlier, with just 10% of respondents shopping in physical stores much more than shopping online.

First, we asked consumers about their current shopping behaviour. 

Almost half (48%) of consumers prefer shopping online over physical stores, emphasising just how important it is to have an online presence. The outlier here is UK shoppers, who shop much more online than at physical stores.

Around 22% of people maintain an equal balance between shopping online and physical stores, showing that the in-store shopping experience is still important. This is underlined by the fact that just under a third (28%) of consumers shop in physical stores more than they do online. Again, the UK is the major outlier, with just 10% of respondents shopping in physical stores much more than shopping online.

First, we asked consumers about their current shopping behaviour. 

Almost half (48%) of consumers prefer shopping online over physical stores, emphasising just how important it is to have an online presence. The outlier here is UK shoppers, who shop much more online than at physical stores.

Around 22% of people maintain an equal balance between shopping online and physical stores, showing that the in-store shopping experience is still important. This is underlined by the fact that just under a third (28%) of consumers shop in physical stores more than they do online. Again, the UK is the major outlier, with just 10% of respondents shopping in physical stores much more than shopping online.

How do people shop online?

Before they even reach a store, we need to understand how online consumers start their journey. So, we asked consumers about the process they follow when looking for products.

The most popular way for customers to find an item are the big online marketplaces, such as Amazon and eBay, with 45% choosing them. And search engines (44%) are also very popular.

The next most popular destinations include visiting a retailer’s website to find a product (39%), as well as online review pages (35%). 

Just under a quarter of people (24%) visit comparison websites when looking for products.

Interestingly, just over a fifth of respondents (21%) use a combination of online shopping and visiting a physical store, while looking at social media and social media influencers were the least popular methods for online shoppers.

These numbers emphasise how important it is for you to use a combination of channels. If you place all of your attention solely on an Amazon listing, or a high-converting landing page, you may be missing out on a significant number of sales from customers who prefer to use different channels when shopping online.

Before they even reach a store, we need to understand how online consumers start their journey. So, we asked consumers about the process they follow when looking for products.

The most popular way for customers to find an item are the big online marketplaces, such as Amazon and eBay, with 45% choosing them. And search engines (44%) are also very popular.

The next most popular destinations include visiting a retailer’s website to find a product (39%), as well as online review pages (35%). 

Just under a quarter of people (24%) visit comparison websites when looking for products.

Interestingly, just over a fifth of respondents (21%) use a combination of online shopping and visiting a physical store, while looking at social media and social media influencers were the least popular methods for online shoppers.

These numbers emphasise how important it is for you to use a combination of channels. If you place all of your attention solely on an Amazon listing, or a high-converting landing page, you may be missing out on a significant number of sales from customers who prefer to use different channels when shopping online.

Before they even reach a store, we need to understand how online consumers start their journey. So, we asked consumers about the process they follow when looking for products.

The most popular way for customers to find an item are the big online marketplaces, such as Amazon and eBay, with 45% choosing them. And search engines (44%) are also very popular.

The next most popular destinations include visiting a retailer’s website to find a product (39%), as well as online review pages (35%). 

Just under a quarter of people (24%) visit comparison websites when looking for products.

Interestingly, just over a fifth of respondents (21%) use a combination of online shopping and visiting a physical store, while looking at social media and social media influencers were the least popular methods for online shoppers.

These numbers emphasise how important it is for you to use a combination of channels. If you place all of your attention solely on an Amazon listing, or a high-converting landing page, you may be missing out on a significant number of sales from customers who prefer to use different channels when shopping online.

Before they even reach a store, we need to understand how online consumers start their journey. So, we asked consumers about the process they follow when looking for products.

The most popular way for customers to find an item are the big online marketplaces, such as Amazon and eBay, with 45% choosing them. And search engines (44%) are also very popular.

The next most popular destinations include visiting a retailer’s website to find a product (39%), as well as online review pages (35%). 

Just under a quarter of people (24%) visit comparison websites when looking for products.

Interestingly, just over a fifth of respondents (21%) use a combination of online shopping and visiting a physical store, while looking at social media and social media influencers were the least popular methods for online shoppers.

These numbers emphasise how important it is for you to use a combination of channels. If you place all of your attention solely on an Amazon listing, or a high-converting landing page, you may be missing out on a significant number of sales from customers who prefer to use different channels when shopping online.

Online buying behaviour and shopping habits

Next, we explore how consumer shopping behaviour has changed over the last 12 months.

The results point towards shoppers becoming more price-conscious and willing to do more research before buying products. But, once they find a brand that treats them well, they seem to stay loyal to them and are more likely to buy from them again.

Now here’s the next biggest changes in behaviour. 

Almost a fifth (19%) of people are less likely to respond to ads they see online, and around the same amount are more likely to return an item they are unsure about. The biggest change is people’s attitudes towards buy now, pay later, with numbers down across most markets, and a large drop-off in the Netherlands.

We asked Happy Horizon, a creative digital agency that specialises in helping online businesses, to take a look at the data. Here’s their Chief Innovation Officer, Heidi Anthonis, on some of the trends they see in the results and European ecommerce generally.

“It’s tempting to focus on the behaviour around pricing and returns,” Heidi says. “But what stands out most to me is the importance of brand loyalty. Consumers are seeking trust when researching online. Trust from people they know, influencers, or brands they follow. You can see that in the increase in loyalty for trusted brands and brands that offer excellent experiences. 

“Consumers are still researching online, but often get ad fatigue because of the enormous amount of options available. This means they’ll more often pre-select and shop with a selection of their favourite brands. You can also see a mix of online and offline shopping behaviour, so brands that offer seamless omnichannel experiences will have a better chance of winning a customer’s loyalty.”

Next, we explore how consumer shopping behaviour has changed over the last 12 months.

The results point towards shoppers becoming more price-conscious and willing to do more research before buying products. But, once they find a brand that treats them well, they seem to stay loyal to them and are more likely to buy from them again.

Now here’s the next biggest changes in behaviour. 

Almost a fifth (19%) of people are less likely to respond to ads they see online, and around the same amount are more likely to return an item they are unsure about. The biggest change is people’s attitudes towards buy now, pay later, with numbers down across most markets, and a large drop-off in the Netherlands.

We asked Happy Horizon, a creative digital agency that specialises in helping online businesses, to take a look at the data. Here’s their Chief Innovation Officer, Heidi Anthonis, on some of the trends they see in the results and European ecommerce generally.

“It’s tempting to focus on the behaviour around pricing and returns,” Heidi says. “But what stands out most to me is the importance of brand loyalty. Consumers are seeking trust when researching online. Trust from people they know, influencers, or brands they follow. You can see that in the increase in loyalty for trusted brands and brands that offer excellent experiences. 

“Consumers are still researching online, but often get ad fatigue because of the enormous amount of options available. This means they’ll more often pre-select and shop with a selection of their favourite brands. You can also see a mix of online and offline shopping behaviour, so brands that offer seamless omnichannel experiences will have a better chance of winning a customer’s loyalty.”

Next, we explore how consumer shopping behaviour has changed over the last 12 months.

The results point towards shoppers becoming more price-conscious and willing to do more research before buying products. But, once they find a brand that treats them well, they seem to stay loyal to them and are more likely to buy from them again.

Now here’s the next biggest changes in behaviour. 

Almost a fifth (19%) of people are less likely to respond to ads they see online, and around the same amount are more likely to return an item they are unsure about. The biggest change is people’s attitudes towards buy now, pay later, with numbers down across most markets, and a large drop-off in the Netherlands.

We asked Happy Horizon, a creative digital agency that specialises in helping online businesses, to take a look at the data. Here’s their Chief Innovation Officer, Heidi Anthonis, on some of the trends they see in the results and European ecommerce generally.

“It’s tempting to focus on the behaviour around pricing and returns,” Heidi says. “But what stands out most to me is the importance of brand loyalty. Consumers are seeking trust when researching online. Trust from people they know, influencers, or brands they follow. You can see that in the increase in loyalty for trusted brands and brands that offer excellent experiences. 

“Consumers are still researching online, but often get ad fatigue because of the enormous amount of options available. This means they’ll more often pre-select and shop with a selection of their favourite brands. You can also see a mix of online and offline shopping behaviour, so brands that offer seamless omnichannel experiences will have a better chance of winning a customer’s loyalty.”

Next, we explore how consumer shopping behaviour has changed over the last 12 months.

The results point towards shoppers becoming more price-conscious and willing to do more research before buying products. But, once they find a brand that treats them well, they seem to stay loyal to them and are more likely to buy from them again.

Now here’s the next biggest changes in behaviour. 

Almost a fifth (19%) of people are less likely to respond to ads they see online, and around the same amount are more likely to return an item they are unsure about. The biggest change is people’s attitudes towards buy now, pay later, with numbers down across most markets, and a large drop-off in the Netherlands.

We asked Happy Horizon, a creative digital agency that specialises in helping online businesses, to take a look at the data. Here’s their Chief Innovation Officer, Heidi Anthonis, on some of the trends they see in the results and European ecommerce generally.

“It’s tempting to focus on the behaviour around pricing and returns,” Heidi says. “But what stands out most to me is the importance of brand loyalty. Consumers are seeking trust when researching online. Trust from people they know, influencers, or brands they follow. You can see that in the increase in loyalty for trusted brands and brands that offer excellent experiences. 

“Consumers are still researching online, but often get ad fatigue because of the enormous amount of options available. This means they’ll more often pre-select and shop with a selection of their favourite brands. You can also see a mix of online and offline shopping behaviour, so brands that offer seamless omnichannel experiences will have a better chance of winning a customer’s loyalty.”

Future shopping behaviour

Lastly, we asked consumers how their shopping behaviour will change in the next 12 months.

The overwhelming winner was ‘no change’, with just under half of consumers (48%) saying they won’t change how they currently shop in the next 12 months. 

Of those who think their shopping behaviour will change, more people plan to shop online more, although just over a fifth (21%) say they will shop in physical stores more.

Lastly, we asked consumers how their shopping behaviour will change in the next 12 months.

The overwhelming winner was ‘no change’, with just under half of consumers (48%) saying they won’t change how they currently shop in the next 12 months. 

Of those who think their shopping behaviour will change, more people plan to shop online more, although just over a fifth (21%) say they will shop in physical stores more.

Lastly, we asked consumers how their shopping behaviour will change in the next 12 months.

The overwhelming winner was ‘no change’, with just under half of consumers (48%) saying they won’t change how they currently shop in the next 12 months. 

Of those who think their shopping behaviour will change, more people plan to shop online more, although just over a fifth (21%) say they will shop in physical stores more.

Lastly, we asked consumers how their shopping behaviour will change in the next 12 months.

The overwhelming winner was ‘no change’, with just under half of consumers (48%) saying they won’t change how they currently shop in the next 12 months. 

Of those who think their shopping behaviour will change, more people plan to shop online more, although just over a fifth (21%) say they will shop in physical stores more.

Online shopping trends and tips to drive growth

So, what can you take away from the data? That consumers are looking for good deals, low prices, and are happy doing more research and buying from brands they know and trust. 

Opportunities exist for ecommerce businesses. But to take advantage, you have to attract shoppers to your site – then meet and exceed their expectations.

“The advertising space is becoming more cluttered,” says Heidi. “There’s now more channels than ever which attract more advertisers. This is increasing the cost of CPM/CPCs. That means you can’t only rely on paid traffic to drive revenue. Instead you need to rethink your budget allocation on paid media ads and focus more on customer lifetime value and retention.

“We are already seeing a shift in ecommerce marketing. Many retailers are focusing more on non-paid marketing channels. CRO, marketing automation, and loyalty strategies to maintain profitable growth.”

Building loyalty and getting customers to return to buy is one surefire way to drive success. So, here’s Heidi’s tips on how to retain shoppers: 

  1. Set up a welcome flow: Create an onboarding journey after the first purchase to introduce customers to your brand and make them feel valued.

  2. Launch feedback campaigns: Shift from only selling products to actively gathering customer insights. Use polls or gamified feedback to understand expectations and use these insights to guide your future campaigns and messaging.

  3. Boost visibility across platforms: Analyse your brand’s share of search across all platforms. Expand your presence on newer social platforms and use social commerce to connect with every customer.

Discover more about how to increase repeat purchases in ecommerce.

So, what can you take away from the data? That consumers are looking for good deals, low prices, and are happy doing more research and buying from brands they know and trust. 

Opportunities exist for ecommerce businesses. But to take advantage, you have to attract shoppers to your site – then meet and exceed their expectations.

“The advertising space is becoming more cluttered,” says Heidi. “There’s now more channels than ever which attract more advertisers. This is increasing the cost of CPM/CPCs. That means you can’t only rely on paid traffic to drive revenue. Instead you need to rethink your budget allocation on paid media ads and focus more on customer lifetime value and retention.

“We are already seeing a shift in ecommerce marketing. Many retailers are focusing more on non-paid marketing channels. CRO, marketing automation, and loyalty strategies to maintain profitable growth.”

Building loyalty and getting customers to return to buy is one surefire way to drive success. So, here’s Heidi’s tips on how to retain shoppers: 

  1. Set up a welcome flow: Create an onboarding journey after the first purchase to introduce customers to your brand and make them feel valued.

  2. Launch feedback campaigns: Shift from only selling products to actively gathering customer insights. Use polls or gamified feedback to understand expectations and use these insights to guide your future campaigns and messaging.

  3. Boost visibility across platforms: Analyse your brand’s share of search across all platforms. Expand your presence on newer social platforms and use social commerce to connect with every customer.

Discover more about how to increase repeat purchases in ecommerce.

So, what can you take away from the data? That consumers are looking for good deals, low prices, and are happy doing more research and buying from brands they know and trust. 

Opportunities exist for ecommerce businesses. But to take advantage, you have to attract shoppers to your site – then meet and exceed their expectations.

“The advertising space is becoming more cluttered,” says Heidi. “There’s now more channels than ever which attract more advertisers. This is increasing the cost of CPM/CPCs. That means you can’t only rely on paid traffic to drive revenue. Instead you need to rethink your budget allocation on paid media ads and focus more on customer lifetime value and retention.

“We are already seeing a shift in ecommerce marketing. Many retailers are focusing more on non-paid marketing channels. CRO, marketing automation, and loyalty strategies to maintain profitable growth.”

Building loyalty and getting customers to return to buy is one surefire way to drive success. So, here’s Heidi’s tips on how to retain shoppers: 

  1. Set up a welcome flow: Create an onboarding journey after the first purchase to introduce customers to your brand and make them feel valued.

  2. Launch feedback campaigns: Shift from only selling products to actively gathering customer insights. Use polls or gamified feedback to understand expectations and use these insights to guide your future campaigns and messaging.

  3. Boost visibility across platforms: Analyse your brand’s share of search across all platforms. Expand your presence on newer social platforms and use social commerce to connect with every customer.

Discover more about how to increase repeat purchases in ecommerce.

So, what can you take away from the data? That consumers are looking for good deals, low prices, and are happy doing more research and buying from brands they know and trust. 

Opportunities exist for ecommerce businesses. But to take advantage, you have to attract shoppers to your site – then meet and exceed their expectations.

“The advertising space is becoming more cluttered,” says Heidi. “There’s now more channels than ever which attract more advertisers. This is increasing the cost of CPM/CPCs. That means you can’t only rely on paid traffic to drive revenue. Instead you need to rethink your budget allocation on paid media ads and focus more on customer lifetime value and retention.

“We are already seeing a shift in ecommerce marketing. Many retailers are focusing more on non-paid marketing channels. CRO, marketing automation, and loyalty strategies to maintain profitable growth.”

Building loyalty and getting customers to return to buy is one surefire way to drive success. So, here’s Heidi’s tips on how to retain shoppers: 

  1. Set up a welcome flow: Create an onboarding journey after the first purchase to introduce customers to your brand and make them feel valued.

  2. Launch feedback campaigns: Shift from only selling products to actively gathering customer insights. Use polls or gamified feedback to understand expectations and use these insights to guide your future campaigns and messaging.

  3. Boost visibility across platforms: Analyse your brand’s share of search across all platforms. Expand your presence on newer social platforms and use social commerce to connect with every customer.

Discover more about how to increase repeat purchases in ecommerce.

Delight shoppers, increase sales

If you’re running an ecommerce business, the European Ecommerce Report 2025 shows the key things you need to do to delight shoppers across the continent:

  • How consumers plan to shop and spend

  • How to attract shoppers to your site

  • How to drive browsers to checkout

  • How to prevent checkout abandonments

  • How to build loyalty and drive repurchases

  • An in-depth analysis of key European markets.

Want to access all the insights and learn how to increase conversions, maximise sales, and build loyalty? 

Explore the full report.

If you’re running an ecommerce business, the European Ecommerce Report 2025 shows the key things you need to do to delight shoppers across the continent:

  • How consumers plan to shop and spend

  • How to attract shoppers to your site

  • How to drive browsers to checkout

  • How to prevent checkout abandonments

  • How to build loyalty and drive repurchases

  • An in-depth analysis of key European markets.

Want to access all the insights and learn how to increase conversions, maximise sales, and build loyalty? 

Explore the full report.

If you’re running an ecommerce business, the European Ecommerce Report 2025 shows the key things you need to do to delight shoppers across the continent:

  • How consumers plan to shop and spend

  • How to attract shoppers to your site

  • How to drive browsers to checkout

  • How to prevent checkout abandonments

  • How to build loyalty and drive repurchases

  • An in-depth analysis of key European markets.

Want to access all the insights and learn how to increase conversions, maximise sales, and build loyalty? 

Explore the full report.

If you’re running an ecommerce business, the European Ecommerce Report 2025 shows the key things you need to do to delight shoppers across the continent:

  • How consumers plan to shop and spend

  • How to attract shoppers to your site

  • How to drive browsers to checkout

  • How to prevent checkout abandonments

  • How to build loyalty and drive repurchases

  • An in-depth analysis of key European markets.

Want to access all the insights and learn how to increase conversions, maximise sales, and build loyalty? 

Explore the full report.

About the research

We partnered with leading research agency Coleman Parkes to survey 10,000 European consumers who shop online (at least one online purchase in the last month, though 66% had bought something in the previous week). 

The research was conducted online in July and August 2024.

The research was conducted across the Netherlands, Belgium, the UK, Germany, and France, with 2,000 surveys conducted in each market. To get a true representation of consumers in the research sample, a mix of age ranges, genders, and income brackets was included.

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MollieGrowthOnline shopping habits, trends and insights in Europe
MollieGrowthOnline shopping habits, trends and insights in Europe
MollieGrowthOnline shopping habits, trends and insights in Europe