Portuguese are the most sensitive European consumers to online prices – Companies

Portugal appears as the European country, out of a universe of 22 analyzed, where consumers are most sensitive to price when making purchases onlinereveals the “e-shopper” barometer.

According to the report, released this Wednesday, 71% of regular Portuguese e-shoppers consider that buying online is a way of saving money, compared to 65% for the European average. Numbers that reflect the impact of inflation on the Portuguese wallet, for whom price is the most important factor in their purchasing decisions (76%) or always looking for a good deal (79%).

Carried out by Geopost, one of the largest parcel delivery and solutions groups for e-commerce, of which DPD is part, which operates in Portugal, the study highlights that another way of justifying the sensitivity of regular Portuguese “e-shoppers” to This factor is related to the main drivers for an online purchase in which price-related criteria are the most significant.

Thus, 49% admit to buying online due to the existence of free deliveries; 28% value the lack of hidden fees added to the final price of the product; while 22% mention free returns. Another trend reflected in the report has to do with the fact that the majority of regular “e-shoppers” use foreign websites to buy online, especially to find better deals, even more than the European average (73% in Portugal versus 58% in Europe ). Spain (61%), China (58%) and the United Kingdom (33%) were the countries where the Portuguese purchased the most online. “It is clear the impact that inflation had on the consumption behavior of the Portuguese in 2023. If the price was already a major concern for the local market, the numbers now presented show us a context where andThis concern with the best possible deal is reflected in several dimensionsfrom being careful to buy during periods when discounts are more significant – such as Black Friday and sales – to foreign websites and apps as a way to always buy cheaper”, says the CEO of DPD Portugal, Olivier Establet, quoted in communicated.

Online shopping is growing again. Books and technology in reverse

Alongside this scenario, the 2023 e-shopper barometer shows that, after a decrease in e-commerce consumers in 2022, this indicator grew again in 2023 (71% in 2023 vs. 66% in 2022), reaching positive values, despite remaining below the European average (76%). Last year alone, Portuguese online consumers received four orders on average in the previous month, having purchased an average of 11 times throughout the year.

The most recent edition of the “e-shopper” barometer indicates that fashion (59%), beauty and health (51%) and footwear (41%) were the product categories that “e-shoppers” purchased most in 2023. In contrast, the categories of books and technology/electronics were the only ones to register a drop in the list of types of goods most purchased by Portuguese people online.

The study also indicates that, although Portugal continues to have a lower percentage than that recorded in Europe in terms of the number of consumers who use C2C platforms (from individual to individual, 60% in Portugal versus 72% in Europe), a third of regular “e-shoppers” nationwide indicate that they have increased their purchases of second-hand productsa trend confirmed by the increase in the purchasing frequency of those who buy on C2C platforms: 48% reveal that they buy on these platforms, doing so, on average, 11 times a year (3 times more than in 2022).

The reasons behind second-hand purchases are once again linked to cost, with 65% of respondents saying it is cheaper than buying new items, while 42% highlight the fact that this type of commerce supports a more responsible economy. For this process, social networks continue to play an important role, being used by 8 out of 10 “e-shoppers”. Regarding the delivery process, the report highlights that home deliveries are losing weight to Out-of-Home (OOH) deliverieswhose use continues to grow and show positive development, with 27% of regular “e-shoppers” using at least one OOH delivery location, especially when it comes to “lockers”.

“It’s interesting to see how For the first time, home deliveries, despite maintaining leadership, fell by 12 percentage points between 2022 and 2023. A scenario that reflects a growing fragmentation of consumption profiles and needs, to which brands and delivery operators will have to respond, by enabling themselves with an increasingly diverse, simplified and convenient delivery offer for their customers, supported by out-of-home deliveries. This is the big step for the coming years in the delivery sector, accompanied by sustainable transition”, comments Olivier Establet, quoted in the note sent to the press.

The 2023 “e-shopper” barometer was conducted between May 31 and July 19, 2023. The data was collected online, with a sample of 24,233 interviews in 22 European countries, of which 1,000 in Portugal.