Compared to other German-speaking countries, Swiss consumers shop online less frequently. Just 18 percent of them shop online at least once a week. In Germany, for example, that share comes to 28 percent.
Earlier research this year already showed that ecommerce in Switzerland increased 3.5 percent last year, compared to 2023. They spent 15.9 billion euros online. However, when taking inflation into account, ecommerce increased 2.4 percent.
51% of Swiss shop online monthly
A new study from United Internet Media surveyed 6,000 people in the DACH region (Germany, Austria and Switzerland) between the ages of 18 and 69. The research indicates that the Swiss are more reluctant to shop online than consumers in the other countries.
In Germany, 72% of consumers shop online once a month via online platforms. In Austria, the share is 69%
Monthly, 51 percent of Swiss consumers shop via online retail platforms. In this aspect, the country also ranks behind Germany (72 percent) and Austria (69 percent). According to the report, Swiss shoppers research more thoroughly before making any major purchases. They also shop less frequently at retailers.
Popular product categories
Out of all purchases that consumers in Switzerland did do online, at least 53 percent were placed at Galaxus. The most popular online shopping product categories were clothing, accessories and shoes (80 percent). In second place came books, with 58 percent.
53% of Swiss online shoppers bought cosmetics and personal care products
Cosmetics and personal care products was another popular product category among Swiss shoppers (53 percent). And 42 percent of Swiss bought food and beverages online. Another 37 percent also bought pharmaceuticals online.
Email preferred communication channel in Switzerland
The research also looked at consumers’ preferences for certain communication channels from retailers. Email remains the most important channel for consumers in Switzerland. At least 82 percent of Swiss consumers track order information in their email inbox. And 70 percent said that they prefer email when contacting online sellers. Even 58 percent said that they bought a product after receiving an email from the seller, in the last six months.
