Germany leads Europe for consumer online purchasing, according to a report out today from market research firm Datamonitor Plc. The survey found that 6.3% of Germans and 5.9% of Britons had used the internet to order goods, compared to less than 2% in France, Spain and Italy.
But the British were more prepared to part with cash online, with 66% of net shoppers having paid for products using credit cards over the web, compared to 61% in France and 52% in Italy. Only 28% of Germans had paid online. Datamonitor consultant Jonathon Tikochinsky described the adventurous British surfer community as a genuine market opportunity, owing to the high level of internet uptake in the UK.
The French were found to be the leaders in online banking, with 16% of the population having used these services, compared to 12% of Germans and just 5% of Britons.
