Middle-Eastern and African consumers are most inclined to shop cross-border, says PayPal’s Cross-border Consumer Research.
The study examined how people shop online and across borders. The survey was conducted in 31 countries among a total of 34k consumers who are active online.
According to the study 70% of Middle-Easter and 60%, African shoppers shop the most internationally in comparison to European (56%) consumers. US customers find cross-border shopping less appealing, with less than a half (48%) shop at overseas online stores.
Top cross-border destinations
The research says that the US and China are top cross-border destinations. Some 26% and 21% of all global purchases are made on a Chinese webshop and a US platform, respectively. The US (14%), Germany (10%) and Japan (5%) complete the top five of the most popular cross-border territories.
Reasons for shopping cross-border
Low cost is the main driver for shoppers buying cross-border rather than domestically. The majority (73%) of all surveyed consumer admit shopping internationally in a bid to get the best price.
Product exclusivity falls as a secondary reason for shoppers buying overseas. Some 43% of the survey participants say they often shop cross-border to find goods that aren’t available online. Often reasons for international shopping are in the discovery of interesting and new products (34%), higher product quality (29%), and less expensive shipping (24%).
The findings highlight the growing importance of cross-border shopping. However, there are great differences in shopping behaviour and preferences across the world. This means that each territory requires a localised approach so that merchants’ services and products are attuned with their shoppers’ preferences and expectations.
