Online sales turnover in Greece to reach 4.5 bln USD in 2019: survey

ATHENS, March 6 (Xinhua) -- The total revenue of e-commerce in Greece for 2019 is expected to reach 4 billion euros (4.5 billion U.S. dollars) as opposed to last year's 3.7 billion euros, according to the Greek e-Commerce Association (GR.EC.A), Greek national news agency AMNA reported on Wednesday.

More than 7,000 businesses in Greece have digital outlets and online users are estimated at 3.8 million, the association's president Katerina Fraidaki told a press conference in Athens.

About 85 percent of shoppers make 80 percent of their online purchases from Greek e-shops, while 54 percent of online payments are made by cash on delivery.

According to GR.EC.A's survey, e-commerce is gradually gaining ground, with 85 percent of Internet users in Greece making regular online purchases today, while in 2016 the figure was 65 percent.

According to another recent study of the ELTRUN Laboratory (E-Business Research Center) of the Athens University of Economics and Business, about 4 million Greeks are expected to buy products and/or services over the Internet this year, while the total value of their purchases is estimated to exceed 5 billion euros (5.6 billion U.S. dollars).

The percentage of consumers in Greece who shop online is steadily rising. According to data from the Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT), the percentage of people aged 16-74 who have used the Internet even once to buy products or services reached 40.2 percent in 2018, from 26.9 percent in 2012. (1 euro =1.13 U.S. dollars).