Portugal more digital than ever: the ideal time to invest in Ecommerce
The Portuguese are changing their consumption habits and it is partly the fault of COVID.
According to the latest study by the Portuguese Association of Digital Economy, carried out in partnership with IDC, the Portuguese population is more digital than ever and there was an acceleration of electronic commerce thanks to the pandemic.
The same study concludes that electronic commerce is a useful tool to leverage the growth and internationalization of national companies.
The analysis of the Portuguese Association of Digital Economy and IDC showed that there is a strong penetration of the Internet in Portugal (about 75% of citizens), with values close to the European average. At the end of 2020, this penetration value could reach 81% given the particularities of this year. The North, Center and Alentejo are the regions with the lowest penetration rates.
The values of electronic commerce in Portugal this year reached 110.6 billion euros, which represents a growth concerning 2019 (96 billion).
The pandemic crisis is undoubtedly at the basis of this growth, as it drastically changed the habits of consumers and transformed companies and business models.
It is estimated that, in 2020, 57% of internet users made purchases online, with 60% of online shoppers claiming to have increased consumption through e-commerce in 2020. The study reveals that the intensity of purchases on commerce platforms e-commerce also increased, with 73% of shoppers buying online more than three to five times a month.
It also became clear that there was an increase in purchases from Portuguese online stores and a decrease in purchases from foreign websites. The sectors with the highest profit recorded were “home-delivered meals” and “food and beverages”.
The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated to consumers and vendors that e-commerce plays an essential role in today's consumer habits. The practicality of delivery and the fact that the customer does not have to leave the house to choose their purchases make this sector very appealing, and the trend will continue to rise.
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