Problems with Online Shopping in Selected Countries of the European Union

Online shopping is booming right now. However, as the sector grows, so do the problems consumers face when shopping online. The motivation of the study was to explore the problems faced by consumers when shopping via Internet. The paper seeks to assess and contrast the challenges encountered by customers while engaging in online shopping within specific European Union countries, in particular in Germany, France and Spain, which are among the top 10 countries in the global e-commerce market. The paper delves into the theoretical background of online shopping and elucidates the primary challenges encountered by consumers during their online shopping experiences. Utilizing data sourced from the Eurostat database, the paper examines distinct issues in online shopping for the years 2015, 2017, 2019, and 2021, drawing comparisons between them. It was found that the largest share of total problems was recorded in Germany in all years. The most common problem was longer delivery time than stated by the seller with France leading the category. The results of the research can be useful for online retailers in understanding the problems that consumers face when shopping online. Subsequently, sellers can respond adequately and improve the quality of the services provided.