During 2016, the Spanish e-commerce grew significantly, both in the areas B2C as B2B. It has experienced double digit growth even during the economic downturn of the past. The sector remains highly competitive and offers opportunities for US companies.
Current market trends
There are currently three main trends in the Spanish e-commerce market: First, logistics has become a key differentiator for Spanish sellers since the introduction of Amazon's core service.
Second, Spain is considered to have one of the highest smartphone penetration rates in Europe, boosting the ecommerce growth. Finally, as the market expands, the need to integrate third-party e-commerce intelligence service providers and analytics grows.
National electronic commerce (B2C)
The top product categories for consumer online purchases were travel and hotels, direct marketing, ticketing services, electronics, clothing, and food. The credit cards they were one of the most used payment methods.
The Spanish Markets and Competition Commission has developed detailed statistical data by quarter, based on credit card payment information for electronic commerce transactions.
E-commerce services
There has been significant recent growth in the number of businesses and the depth of their e-commerce-related services offered in Spain in relation to logistics, warehousing, and service fulfillment.
Online payments
The preferred online payment method for consumers in Spain, estimated at 90% of the total, is by debit / credit card, followed by Paypal. Ecommerce players are adding new payment / consumer financing options to improve conversion rate.