Online shopping increasingly popular

Last year, 9.3 million Dutch 12 to 74-year-olds bought goods and services online, i.e. half a million more than one year previously. The proportion of Internet users who have never bought or ordered goods online has reduced further to 23 percent. Two thirds state the main reason to refrain from online shopping is that they prefer traditional shopping.

Proportion of 12 to 74-year-old Internet users engaged in online shopping  

Substantial growth number of frequent e-shoppers

In the period 2005-2010, the proportion of Internet users in the age category 12-74 engaged in online shopping (e-shopping) has grown from 55 to 77 percent. The increase is almost entirely attributable to the group of frequent e-shoppers, which grew from 36 to 55 percent over the same period. More than seven in ten e-shoppers are in the category frequent e-shoppers.

Frequent e-shoppers by gender and age

Largest increase in age category 25-44

Relative to 2005, the largest increase is observed among 25 to 44-year-old women, followed by men in the same age group. The largest relative growth was recorded among 65 to 74-year-old men followed by women in the age category 45-64.

Lower educated women are catching up

If education level is taken into account, the highest proportional increase in e-shoppers is recorded among higher educated women: from 40 percent in 2005 to 67 percent in 2010 followed by higher educated men with an increase from 55 to 74 percent.

The smallest increase in e-shoppers (14 percentage points) was among lower educated men and women, but proportionally, the growth is much higher among women than among men, so lower educated women are catching up.

Main reasons for not buying online, 2010

Just under one in four Internet users do not buy online

Last year, 23 percent of Internet users had never bought anything online, i.e. half as many as in 2005. Nearly two in three Internet users who do not buy online prefer traditional shopping. This is more true for women than for men. Another 34 percent do not see the need for online shopping and some 30 percent are concerned about privacy violation or security risks; they are not prepared to use their credit card or personal data online.

Ger Sleijpen