Portuguese were pioneers in cross border trade and are used to buy overseas online. Today’s sea of commercial adventure is the internet and numbers prove that the future is promising. According to the report by Ecommerce Europe, digital shops increased 13.3% in 2014 (representing 2.9 billion euros) and this number doubled in 2016 as Portuguese ecommerce reached a value of 4.2 billion euros made by 3.4 million online users.
With one of the best internet connections in Europe, great mobile services, a prime geographic location and high-performance broadband are some of the reasons for this expected “online euphoria” in Portugal over the next few years. With 10.4 million inhabitants these numbers represent a great business opportunity for growth in the online market.
More and more Portuguese people are starting to use the internet to make purchases online. As more international companies are setting their eyes in Portugal and more local companies are showing an increased interest in the online business model, it’s expected that the ecommerce will experience serious growth.
Reasons to embrace an ecommerce quest in Portugal
- Portugal is considered the 24th best country to do business and the 14th best in Europe, according to Forbes;
- The number of Internet users in Portugal has increased about 36% in the past 5 years. (source: ACEPI);
- Consumers spend more than five hours browsing the internet per month.
Sources: Forbes, Ecommerce News Europe, Ecommerce Foundation.
