Online shopping in the European Union (EU) continues to expand, with the most frequently purchased goods online last year being clothing (including sportswear), shoes and accessories, with 45 per cent of people making these purchases in the previous three months. according to the latest annual survey on information and communication technology (ICT) usage in households and by individuals conducted by Eurostat.

In 2024, 77 per cent of internet users bought or ordered goods or services for personal use online in the previous 12 months, increasing from 59 per cent in 2014, marking a 17 percentage point (pp) rise.

The highest percentages of internet users who made online purchases in 2024 were in Ireland (96 per cent), the Netherlands (94 per cent) and Denmark (91 per cent). Bulgaria had the lowest share at 57 per cent, followed by Italy and Romania, both at 60 per cent.

From 2014 to 2024, significant growth was observed in Romania (plus 43 pp, from 17 per cent to 60 per cent), Hungary (plus 37 pp, 42 per cent to 79 per cent), and Lithuania (plus 36 pp, 36 per cent to 72 per cent), an Eurostat release said.

Online shopping of furniture and home accessories or gardening items rose by 19 per cent last year.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)

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Apparel-shoes-accessories most frequently bought online in EU in 2024

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