When Will Emerging Markets Lead B2C eCommerce Sales?

Business-to-consumer (B2C) eCommerce sales are growing worldwide, but it is the emerging markets that will take the lead in for 2013.

Such are the findings revealed in a new report from eMarketer, which indicates that the global average in sales is up by 17 percent thus far. The eCommerce market in Europe and North America is already well established, and sales are continuing to climb in the double digits. However, less developed markets, such as the Asia-Pacific region, Middle East and Africa, are projected to steal the spotlight with the strongest online sales.

The Asia-Pacific countries have been estimated to contribute the highest amount of revenue for the B2C market in the next few years. EMarketer forecasts most of its sales will be in retail and travel products and services. By the end of 2013, this region is expected to increase by 23 percent, especially in China and Indonesia. The study reports that China and Indonesia have grown quickly, and are predicted to have respective growths of 65 percent and 71 percent by the end of the year.

The study reports that there are roughly 1.03 billion online consumers in the world, with a vast majority belonging to the Asia-Pacific community. The numbers are impressive, with 44.4 percent of online shoppers living in this region. China alone is predicted to have 269.4 million online buyers in 2013. Moreover, eMarketer reports this statistic incorporates the Internet users in China aged 14 years and older, who said they make at least one online purchase per year.

According to eMarketer, eCommerce shopping in the Middle East and Africa is also expected to have major growth in 2013 – even more so than in the Asia-Pacific, but on a much smaller scale of consumers. Currently the Asian-Pacific market represents almost a third of the total B2C eCommerce sales around the world, which is only slightly below the market leader’s total, North America.

Other burgeoning regions to have strong sales in eCommerce are Latin America, with 3.8 percent total growth, in addition to Central and Easter Europe, with sales increasing by 4 percent.

EMarketer notes that, despite an increase in sales and development, emerging markets still have great room for growth in eCommerce. Many consumers in developing markets do not yet use the Internet frequently, nor are they shopping as much as Western consumers. The majority of global consumers deemed avid Internet users who are also online buyers reside in Western Europe and North America. The growing markets with considerably low online shopping penetrate rates among Internet users are also inclined to have the lowest Internet penetration worldwide. The eCommerce market will continue to grow as consumers in these regions come to use the Internet more habitually.

To read the full report at eMarketer click here.