4. eCommerce

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So much for eCommerce providing wider consumer choice. New EU research indicates that consumers in smaller markets, such as Ireland, lose out when buying goods online. The map shows that Ireland is in the bottom tier when consumers wish to source products online within their own markets.

Across a range of online searches, more than 70% of products sought by Irish consumers were only available from cross-border providers. Ireland is in a similar band to Latvia, Lithuania and Cyprus. Bigger markets are better served with less than 10% of products only available from cross-border sources for consumers in the UK and Germany.

The problem for Irish consumers is compounded by the fact that many online stores will not accept an order from another country. The failure rate for such orders runs to close on 70% in Ireland.

The EU is promising to help open up the markets through a range of measures from tackling unfair practices, boosting cross-border enforcement through the simplification of regulatory measures and tax charges across the member states.

Source: EU study on cross border transactions, published by the European Commission, October 2009

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