Value of e-commerce for EU consumers
Value of e-commerce for EU consumers
E-commerce is now a central part of consumer life across the EU, rapidly transitioning from a niche activity to a mainstream habit for European consumers. In 2024, 77 percent of internet users in the EU reported purchasing goods or services online, up from 53 percent in 2010. At the same time, the rapid growth of e-commerce and the introduction of new business models built around direct-to-consumer logistics have drawn increasing concern from policymakers and civil society. Particularly regarding effects on traditional retail sectors, its environmental impact, compliance with safety requirements, and fair taxation. We recognise the importance of this policy debate.
Consumer perspectives are less clearly understood
While the policy debate often focuses on the challenges of e-commerce, less attention has been paid to the benefits for consumers. In this report, we examine what EU consumers value most about e-commerce, and how these advantages vary across income levels and geographic areas. We examine the main benefits documented by the economic literature and explore what EU consumers themselves value most about e-commerce, relying on a large-scale pan-European consumer survey targeting SHEIN’s customers across all 27 EU Member States.
Affordability and accessibility drive online purchases
Existing international studies and economic analyses consistently show that e-commerce has contributed to lower inflation, improved access to goods, and gains in consumer welfare.
Our consumer survey reinforces these findings as respondents identify affordability and accessibility as the main reasons for purchasing online:
Price is considered the top priority for consumers purchasing new clothing, both online and offline
Among lower-income consumers, our analysis shows that price plays an even more pronounced role when purchasing new clothes
Consumers living in more remote areas place more value on accessibility, since comparable products are costly and difficult to find locally
Most consumers report saving by shopping online, with an average perceived savings of 33 per cent, equivalent to EUR 12.8 per month
Under the assumption that the level of savings reported by survey respondents could be achieved by all EU consumers buying clothing online, we estimate that total savings for EU consumers could reach up to EUR 22 billion per year.
Please find the full report below, and and a one-page visual summary or individual country reports across 12 EU countries in the right-hand column.
In brief
EU consumers could save up to EUR 22 billion a year by buying clothing online, with surveyed shoppers reporting average savings of 33 per cent, or EUR 12.8 a month.
EUR 22 bn.Estimated potential annual savings for EU consumers from buying clothing online, based on an average perceived saving of 33 per cent.
68% Share of surveyed consumers ranking price as the most important criterion when buying new clothes, rising to 70 per cent among lower-income respondents.
81%Share agreeing that shopping for clothing online offers better deals than physical stores. Better prices are what 70 per cent would miss most if online shopping were unavailable.
79%Share of rural respondents agreeing that online shopping gives them access to trends and styles otherwise unavailable locally. Among this group, 24 per cent spend over EUR 20 on travel for a round trip to a physical store.
77%Share of EU internet users who bought goods or services online in 2024, up from 53 per cent in 2010, with clothing, shoes, and accessories the most popular category.
Commissioned by SHEIN Group. Published 27 October 2025. Survey conducted July 2025. All 27 EU Member States, with detailed focus on 12.
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About this analysis
Copenhagen Economics examined what EU consumers value most about e-commerce in the clothing segment, and how those benefits vary by income level and geography. The study addresses three questions: why people shop online and what they value about it, how e-commerce affects lower-income and rural consumers, and what economic savings buying online produces. It combines a review of the economic literature on consumer welfare with a pan-European survey of more than 27,000 SHEIN customers across all 27 Member States, supported by publicly available market data and industry reports.
The study does not assess the full impact of e-commerce; it addresses the consumer perspective only. The authors state that concerns such as sustainable consumption, environmental impact, safety compliance, fair taxation, and business model transparency are important and merit further study, but lie outside the report’s scope. The survey sample consists of SHEIN customers rather than EU consumers generally. The EUR 22 billion figure rests on the assumption that savings reported by respondents could be achieved by all EU consumers buying clothes online, and savings are self-reported perceptions rather than measured price differences. Copenhagen Economics states that the client chooses the research question and that findings and conclusions are its own.