European shoppers stick to their domestic retailers (AMZN)

Cross Border Commerce

BII

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Cross-border e-commerce is failing to take off within the European Union (EU) despite the ease of having a singular currency across countries, according to The Associated Press.

Currently, 53% of European citizens shop online, but only 16% make purchases from a merchant in another country. This problem is directly tied to availability — just over 7% of smaller retailers in the EU sell to other countries and 38% of larger businesses doing the same.

However, consumer habits and concerns are still a top detractor from cross-border e-commerce within the EU. While many consumers in the EU simply prefer to shop in-person, just over 25% are concerned about payment security and 19% have shipment concerns about receiving their purchase in the first place, and being able to return it.

One new development that will likely help drive cross-border sales in the EU is the recent launch of Amazon's Pan-European FBA program. The program is designed to help sellers more easily ship out their items through Fulfillment By Amazon whereby merchants ship their items to an Amazon warehouse that stores and ships items for them upon sale, reports eCommerce Bytes.

Utilizing a platform like Amazon's can help ease consumer concerns thanks to its international recognition, as well as drive customer loyalty by providing easy, quick shipping.

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