The year 2023 started with encouraging news about Spain’s e-commerce market. Between January and March, online sales reached 19.175 billion euros, driven by both consumer purchases and business-to-business activity, marking a 22.7 percent rise from the same period a year earlier. Yet this quarterly total sits slightly below the late-2022 peak, as the final quarter of 2022 logged 19.650 billion euros. The National Markets and Competition Commission CNMC notes that this small dip in early 2023 is a continuing pattern seen since 2020, with the first quarter slipping by 2.6 percent from the prior year. This context helps explain why the quarterly momentum, though softened, remains robust in the face of inflation and shifting consumer behavior.
Beyond the quarterly snapshot, the overall trend shows a slowing in e-commerce growth during the second half of 2022, followed by a partial reversal in the first quarter of 2023. The uptick in invoices indicates that digital commerce is not merely a price-driven phenomenon; it reflects genuine activity and consumer engagement. In the first three months of 2023, e-commerce linked to Spain, whether originating there or directed abroad, processed 363 million transactions, up 16.1 percent from the prior year. These figures point to a healthy expansion in the volume of online trades, with more buyers and more sellers participating across borders. (CNMC)
Within the revenue mix, several sectors account for the largest shares. Travel agencies and tour operators contributed about 9.4 percent of total turnover, followed by air transport at 6.4 percent. Clothing ranked third with around 6.2 percent. Other notable categories include gambling and betting, as well as payments and food service. This landscape suggests a dynamic online economy where services such as travel, accommodation, and entertainment continue to drive demand, alongside essential retail goods. (CNMC)
outdoor activity
Nevertheless, a sizable portion of online spending is attributed to foreign players, with about 43.5 percent of e-commerce revenue generated by overseas entities. Spain still experiences a net deficit in e-commerce, as consumers spend roughly 8.3 billion euros more on foreign streaming platforms and external online marketplaces than domestic buyers spend with Spanish retailers. This phenomenon underscores the importance of cross-border shopping flows and the balance between domestic and international digital trade. The year-over-year trajectory indicates a shift toward greater foreign participation and rising cross-border transactions. (CNMC)
Looking ahead, Spain’s cross-border e-commerce shows signs of growth. The latest indicators reveal around 500 million euros more than the end of the previous year, and more than 1,000 million euros higher than the first quarter of the prior year. Within Spain, purchases largely come from local electronic retailers, with the European Union accounting for about 93.5 percent of cross-border demand, the United Kingdom at 2.4 percent, and the United States at 1.4 percent. Other destinations remain below 1 percent. The most active product categories include clothing, flights and related services, financial intermediation, gambling and betting, and travel services. On the flip side, the largest foreign expenditures within Spain concentrate on travel and tour services, hospitality, and air transportation. (CNMC)