The Internet has been developing rapidly lately. It is hardly possible to imagine a European household without an internet connection. According to a survey carried out in 2010 by Initiative D21 public association, 70% of German residents have access to the global network. On the one hand, such wide dissemination of internet access enables businesses to base all activities on the internet. On the other hand, more and more people open for themselves the benefits of e-Commerce and start using it on an everyday basis.
Consumer habits change in a short time. Today the choice of goods is very wide. Consumers want to buy quality goods at a reasonable price and save time. Online stores allow to compare many offers and to order an item in a few minutes. Some more statistical proof that electronic commerce becomes more popular can be found in a recent study carried out by the union to Online Research Study Group (AGOF). The study shows that 97.7% of internet users look for goods online, 87.1% of users make purchases through the World Wide Web. Owing to the decreased expenses, the prices in internet stores are, as a rule, lower than in offline stores. Besides that, online trade is often referred to as a green alternative to offline stores, because all goods are delivered and consumers do not have to use their own cars. In 2010, such organizations as EHI and Statista analyzed the e-commerce market in Germany. The survey encompasses 1000 major online stores in Germany. The study proves that the online market of goods has reached a sales turnover of 17.5 billion euro in Germany. The quarter of the turnover belongs to the top 10 e-Commerce service providers. The biggest online stores in Germany are:
Amazon.de
Quelle.de
Otto.de
Conrad.de
Neckermann.de
Internet stores sell all sorts of things. Five major online retail sales segments in Germany are:
General store
Computers
Consumer electronics and accessories
Clothes and shoes
Data carriers (books, CD, DVD, software)
Electronic commerce will be developing rapidly in the nearest future. Forrester Research predicts for the online market a 7% annual growth for the next 5 years. By 2014 the annual sales turnover, according to their estimations, will amount to 44 billion euros. A forecast like this makes seriously considers the benefits for those businesses that are already selling their goods online or intend to start doing it in the nearest future. A start-up project in this sphere requires high-quality software. A software solution must take into account the peculiarities of your business and allow you to focus on your main tasks and objectives.
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