Following rollouts in Ireland and France, Square launched an early access program in Spain, where it can capitalize on rising digital payments use.

By contrast, far fewer internet users in Italy (37%), Spain (36%), and Japan (30%) are comfortable with apparel by way of thrift stores, consignment shops, and other resellers. More like this:. Report: US Generation Z Shopping Behaviors. Article: Q&A: thredUP talks about resale as the future for retail brands. Article: H&M challenged with merging affordable fashion and expensive tech.

By 2024, we expect Germany, Spain, and Sweden to follow suit. In Spain, for example, an estimated 19.5 million residents will check in to Instagram monthly in 2022; Facebook will claim just over 20 million users. Instagram is way ahead of TikTok and Snapchat in Italy. Fully 69.0% of social network users will use Instagram in 2022, though growth is now incremental.

Sustainability is a hot topic, especially in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. In 2021, most ecommerce buyers, sellers, and logistics firms are taking steps to be more eco-friendly. But commitment and progress are patchy.

Don’t confuse social commerce with ecommerce. Social media platforms will never be Amazon. While most traditional ecommerce purchases start with a product search—which requires intent—social media’s sweet spot lies in discovery.

Every country we analyze in the region saw double-digit growth in ecommerce—those gains ranged from an estimated 11.8% in France to 36.0% in Spain. In fact, Spain was the third-fastest-growing retail ecommerce market worldwide among the 32 countries we track. Across the EU-4 and the UK specifically, the outlook also varied.

Brick-and-mortar retailers will bank on digital technology to ease shopper friction points and drive in-store sales.