Seven out of ten Internet users in Greece they shopped at online stores or apps in 2022, an element that confirms that e-commerce has entered our lives forever, with relative percentages even growing despite physical stores operating without restrictive measures due to the pandemic. Consumers in Greece are now making extensive use of online shopping, both for purchasing goods such as clothing and services, from ready-made meals to rental housing, as well as for calling a taxi, a time-saving element, as well as what is currently time is becoming more and more familiar. both mobile phone apps and online payments. Easier comparison of prices and products, especially during times of inflationary pressure, and the availability of feedback from other user-buyers who accompany products and services also play a critical role in keeping e-commerce on an upward trajectory.

So, according to the data announced yesterday Eurostat, 69.84% of internet users in Greece shopped online in 2022 compared to 68.52% in 2021 and 58.93% in 2020. It is worth noting that before 2019, the corresponding percentages were lower 50%, while ten years ago, in 2012, the proportion of Internet users who made purchases in e-commerce was only 36.13%. Significant growth was first recorded in 2015 (46.62%), which was associated with the introduction of capital controls, while subsequently there was a relative decrease in purchases in e-commerce. Since 2018, growth has again been recorded to have a “bang” due to the pandemic in 2020, which left online shopping as the only option for shopping for months.

Clothing and footwear, including, of course, sportswear and footwear, dominate online shopping, with 32.49% making related orders, and one in five ordering food through online stores and apps. Sports equipment (15.24%), as well as the purchase of cosmetics and health and beauty products (14.29%) occupies a high place in the preferences of buyers. It is also worth noting that the percentage of purchases of transport services (eg taxis) via the Internet (12.79%) is important for the Greek market data.

Another element of particular interest is the great development of the platforms of the so-called cooperative economy, which is observed both in Greece and in the European Union as a whole. In 2022, 12.56% of Internet users in Greece purchased a product from a private individual through such a platform, and 15.53% used these platforms to purchase goods and services. These platforms include, for example, eBay, as well as Airbnb, Uber, and even Douleutaras.

At the European Union level, 21% of Internet users have used sharing economy platforms to buy goods from others, 6% to rent a home, 1% to buy transport services, and less than 1% to buy goods from others. of them, services related to the household (cleaning, repairs, etc.) were purchased.