E-commerce – not as big as you think

© Amy Walters

As this article points out, if you live in the UK or on either of the US coasts, the numbers on e-commerce are quite surprising in that they are far lower than we all thought. While Brits are spending the equivalent of more than $1,000 a year on average on e-commerce, the US is just lower than that. Then the spend falls significantly for other well-developed countries, while the top emerging market, China, spends half that amount.

Why is this interesting? The writer points out that brick-and-mortar retailers such as Wal-mart, which have invested in countries where the e-commerce spend is low, shouldn’t be underestimated. However, other retailers, such as Target, may not be in the clear: “Target has hitched its future to physical stores in one of the two least hospitable countries to that strategy,” notes the author. Interesting.