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Switzerland sees big boom in 2017 internet shopping: industry group

Xinhua,February 21, 2018 Adjust font size:

GENEVA, Feb. 20 (Xinhua) -- Consumers in Switzerland are increasingly turning to the internet for shopping, with sales up by 10 percent in 2017, an online industry association said Tuesday.

The Association of Swiss Mail Order Companies (VSV), the market research company GfK and Swiss Post, said there was also a 23 percent increase in online purchases from abroad.

Total sales generated from online shopping in 2017 was 8.6 billion Swiss francs (9.19 billion U.S. dollars) last year, with 1.6 billion francs going to companies abroad.

The reasons attributed to the boom are ease of finding any item on the internet and being able to make price comparisons beforehand, the organizations said in a statement.

"Much of this year's growth in internet users has been driven by more affordable smartphones and mobile data plans," said the statement, adding that two-thirds of the world's 7.6 billion inhabitants now have a mobile phone.

The most popular items ordered were home electronics, followed by fashion and shoes in Switzerland.

In 2017, consumers spent 3.5 billion Swiss francs more on online shopping than in 2010. Purchases made abroad have tripled since 2011. (1 Swiss franc=1.07 U.S. dollar) Enditem

 

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