GEL Proximity’s journey to discover the most interesting European eCommerce markets continues in the Czech Republic.
Located in Central Europe with a population of 10.51 million, the Czech Republic is indeed one of the most interesting European eCommerce marketplaces in terms of Out Of Home deliveries. We just have to find out all the data.
How many eShoppers are in the Czech Republic
With a percentage of Internet Users of 91% in 2022, in the Czech Republic the growth of online shoppers in the last ten years (period 2012-2022) has been particularly significant reaching 87% in 2022.
Covid has had, as in the rest of Europe, a fundamental impact on the development of the eCommerce market in the country. Suffice it to say that in 2017 the percentage of eShoppers stood at 65 percent, in 2019 at 73 percent, while in 2020 it jumped to 80 percent and the growth has never stopped since.
Frequency of online purchases
In 2021, 80% of the eShoppers surveyed said they made more than 3 online purchases in a three-month period (43% between 3 and 5 purchases; 37% 6 or more purchases); while the remaining 20% limited themselves to 1 or 2 purchases in the reporting period (European Ecommerce Report 2022 data).
In addition, 86% of users said they made purchases from a domestic retailer, 26% from European retailers, and 32% from retailers from elsewhere in the world.
Barriers to eCommerce development
Among the main barriers to the development of the online sales market highlighted by Czech consumers we find in 45% of cases the preference for shopping at physical stores, in 9% of cases the lack of appropriate skills, in 8% the lack of confidence in online payments, and finally, to a lesser extent, the cost of shipping (3%) and the reliability and speed of shipping (5%).
Overall, then, it is possible to see that Czech eShoppers are particularly satisfied with the shipping services available to them. Why? The answer comes precisely from Out Of Home deliveries.
Out Of Home deliveries in the Czech Republic
As Jan Vetyška, executive director of APEK – Asociace pro elektronickou komerci, the Czech association of entrepreneurs and companies active in eCommerce, points out, “most logistics companies are trying to make their transportation greener. In cities, many companies are supporting electric vehicles and trying new options, but traditional modes of transportation and delivery are still the most widely used. However, the popularity of pickup points and Lockers is growing. This is helping to reduce transportation, as each logistics has to deliver to one location, where then more customers can go to pick up their packages”.
How many Pickup Points and Lockers are in the Czech Republic
In fact, according to data from the Out Of Home Delivery in Europe 2023 report by Last Mile Experts, there are 7,861 PUDO (Pick-up and Drop-off points) and 7,480 proximity micro-hubs in the Czech Republic; for a total of 15,341 points dedicated to Out Of Home delivery and return. Numbers that make the Czech Republic one of the most relevant APM markets in Europe along with Poland, the United Kingdom, Germany and France.
The estimated growth of Out Of Home deliveries in the Czech Republic
And that’s not all. Also according to the report, it is estimated that in the country – as well as in other Nordic countries – OOH deliveries will grow by more than 50 percent in the near future, thus consolidating as an alternative delivery method to traditional Home Delivery thus ensuring increasing satisfaction from consumers who can enjoy more freedom and flexibility for the delivery and return of their parcels and also helping the further development of the eCommerce market in the country.
If you are an eCommerce manager and believe that Lockers and Pickup Points represent the future of eCommerce deliveries (just like us), you are in the right place! In fact, GEL Proximity allows you to integrate online stores with more than 125,000 already active Pickup Points and Lockers throughout the country and internationally.
Contact us now to find out how to quickly and easily integrate our Network to your online store.
