200 billion HUF online retail sales this year

10. 05. 2013.

In 2012, 2.7 % of the Hungarian retail sales were realised via Internet – reveals eNET’s  recently published yearly survey. The sales volume totalling 177 billion HUF shows a robust increase this year too, and is expected to exceed 200 billion HUF. The greatest volume in online purchase is represented by computer and electronic entertainment devices, food, books, home accessories and games/gifts, however, the sales volume of clothes, beauty and health care products, and mobile phones increase the fastest.

Grow, grow and grow

In 2012, web shops in Hungary realised 177 billion HUF retail sales, that is, 2.7% of the total Hungarian retail sales volume. The increase is still dynamic, the sales volume will likely exceed 200 billion HUF this year. Approximately 5-6000 Hungarian language web shops are available on the net, of which 4100 retailers are active, registered companies in Hungary.

During the course of the last year, the number of online customers increased to 1.65 million people among the over 14-year old, that is, about one fifth of the adult population. The male/female proportion of online customers reached 50-50% in 2013, and the willingness of women to purchase online grows year by year more than that of men.

The pick up points are more and more successful

The most common modes of delivery available at the web shops are courier delivery (82%) and pick up in person (69%). Ont he basis of the value of online purchases, the most frequently used delivery modes are courier delivery and pick up. The percentage of the products customers pick up in person increases gradually, led by the pick ups in partner shops, especially in the case of the great online retailers. This latter fact shows that the pick up of packs at a pick up point close to their location („Pick Pack Pont” and „PostaPont”) became a preferred delivery solution for online customers in the past two years.

We prefer paying in cash

The average value of an online purchase amounted to approximately 7500 HUF regarding the total of purchases. Based on the value of the purchases, the most frequent method of payment used by online customers is charge on delivery, however, postal cash on delivery represents only an exiguous part of it. In the case of the greatest retailers, the proportion of the pick up of products is increasing gradually every year in the shops, and the percentage of these online customers choosing bank card payment finally in the shops is rising as well.

The proportion of bank card payment connected to online purchases still amounts to only approximately 5%, however, it increases in value. The proportion of micropayment, mobile payment and other solutions for payment is temporarily marginal.

We buy clothes from the Internet as well

In 2012, the greatest volume of online purchases were connected to computer and electronic entertainment devices, food, books, home accessories and games/gifts in Hungary. However, the fastest increase is seen in the purchase of clothing, beauty care, health care products and mobile phones. In the case of certain groups of products, online sales offer the only possibility of growth for retailers which is confirmed by the fact that the total retail sales could not increase in volume for years.

We already order via smartphones

In 2012, 5% of the web shop visitors used a mobile platform to visit the sites. Concerning the number of online purchasers this proportion is 3.3%, while concerning online sales it represents 3.1%.

Applications downloadable for smartphones are worth being applied mainly by web shops appealing shoppers visiting their sites weekly, in all other cases, the usage of mobile optimised websites is the expedient solution for sales.

eNET

The survey was made by eNET in the course of March – May 2013, including all the web shops in Hungary. The definition of web shop: retail enterprise selling online: companies that cope with the online orders and basket selling of products on a Hungarian language homepage. Online sales of services are excluded from the research.