When it comes to e-commerce, it’s interesting to see that everyone has a chance. Gone are the days when the web giants completely monopolized all market shares! Of course, Amazon and the others will always have an advantage in international e-commerce, since they benefit from their notoriety. But if we look to Ireland, we can see that the rules of the game in international e-commerce can also favor David and not just Goliath. An overview of e-commerce trends in the land of the Vikings.
⅓ of international e-commerce revenues
Ireland is a very small market compared to its neighbor, the United Kingdom. And if we take into account the entire English-speaking web, Ireland is potentially in competition with all the Commonwealth countries, as well as the United States. This undoubtedly explains the statistics which say that the majority of Irish people buy online from foreign sites rather than at home. But let’s also look at the other side of the coin: 33% of e-commerce revenues in Ireland come from international e-commerce, transactions with buyers based abroad. For a small country with a necessarily limited number of local customers, this shows that Internet users are no longer afraid to buy abroad, and that a “small” off-center player in Europe can benefit from the global e-commerce boom despite its relatively isolated geographical position on the bangs of Europe.
1 in 4 salespeople depends directly on export sales
In Ireland, 1 in 4 salespeople generate a majority of their sales through international e-commerce. The best-performing sellers in terms of exports are those who have been working in this field for more than 3 years, which tends to show that experience really does make a difference. This also seems to indicate that it’s only a matter of time before this international e-commerce trend gains momentum: new entrants haven’t yet been able to fully exploit this potential, as building brand awareness and credibility takes time.
Things to remember
In the age of Europe, everyone can position themselves in a much larger market – it’s just a question of choosing the right strategy. Whatever your field of specialization, you can reach customers in France as well as beyond our borders, simply by adapting to your customers’ needs with a multilingual interface. The European market is logically privileged, since payment, logistics and customs issues are much simpler than elsewhere, but it’s a safe bet that in the years to come all these aspects will become much simpler, enabling you to reach much more distant customers. It’s up to you to see how you can better target our European neighbors as well as the international French and English-speaking markets. In the case of your site, do revenues from international sources currently account for a significant proportion of your sales? In the short and long term, how do you intend to develop your brand internationally, before your direct foreign competitors eat into your share in France?
