On-line trading in European Union, currently representing less
than 1% of total business trade, will be worth €2.2 trillion
(£1,400 billion) in 2006, or 22% of total business trade, according
to a new report by analyst group Forrester Research.
The report, on the “Future Of Europe's Online B2B Trade”
analysed growth drivers in 13 industries across the EU’s 15 Member
States, to build an on-line business trade forecast for each
industry and country, examining growth patterns, saturation levels,
and take-over time.
The forecast was based on data on IT investment per capita to
account for national variations in on-line trade.
Forrester analyst David Metcalfe said:
"In 2006, Europe's three major markets – the
UK, Germany, and France – will transact at least 23% of sales
on-line, and their combined trade volumes will represent a whopping
64% of the European Union's total on-line trade… The rapid growth
and high volume of net-based trade in France, Germany, and the UK
will pressure proximate countries with deep trading relationships –
like Belgium, Austria, and Ireland – to accelerate their migration
to the net.”
