Online retail will also grow in 2023 due to more orders from abroad
Published: Tuesday, Mar 12th 2024, 10:40
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Trade in goods via the internet grew slightly in Switzerland in 2023. Total sales rose by 3% to CHF 14.4 billion, mainly thanks to additional orders from abroad.
This means that online retail was able to outperform the slightly worse 2022 and thus roughly return to the level of 2021, according to an analysis published on Tuesday by the German Retail Association in cooperation with Swiss Post and the market research institute GfK.
In 2021, online retail sales rose to a record level as a result of the pandemic. In the following year, 2022, revenue shrank by 2%.
Record number of foreign orders
The figures do not show how much of the growth is due to higher prices as a result of inflation. However, it is clear that Swiss online retail has grown less strongly than the turnover of foreign retailers.
While .ch domains recorded an increase of 2%, orders from abroad rose by 10%. According to the trade association, this growth was mainly driven by small parcels from Asia, which were mainly transported by air freight.
Of the total CHF 14.4 billion turnover in online retail, CHF 2.2 billion went to retailers abroad. A new record, according to the press release.
Decline in fashion
In terms of individual product categories, two sectors in particular were more successful than in 2022, according to the association, with sales of sporting goods and food each growing by 6%.
Meanwhile, the fashion industry suffered a decline, with online retail shrinking by 7%. Sales of consumer electronics also fell by 5%. However, these two sectors still accounted for the lion's share of total sales, at 17% and 24% respectively.
The trade association also expects a similar trend for the current year. According to the experts, a significant improvement in the consumer climate is not expected until 2025.
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