Large emerging markets with an active online user base and solid
infrastructure offer online retailers the greatest eCommerce
potential in the near-term. That’s the view from AT Kearney,
which recently released its first Retail e-Commerce Index. The
study, which examines the top 30 countries in the 2012 AT Kearney
Global retail Development Index and ranks the top 10 based on
retail eCommerce potential, concluded that China was this year’s
top destination.
China’s current online retail market size of $23 billion is
second only to the USA and is expected to increase over the next
five years growing at 29 per cent a year with the consumer
electronics and apparel sectors being highlighted as the two
largest categories in the country.
Brazil came out as the second biggest emerging market with the
country’s active online user base commanding $10.6 billion in
online retail sales, the largest in Latin America. Brazil’s
online market is predicted to expand 12 per cent a year over the
next five years, with appliance and consumer electronics being
the most common products sold online in Brazil, while online
apparel sales in the country were marginal as the Brazilian
consumer values the social experience that comes with in-store
shopping.
In third place was Russia, driven by 60 million internet
users-the largest online population in Europe-which includes 15
million online shoppers. Russia’s current online retail market
size of $9.1 billion is projected to grow 12 per cent a year over
the next five years. Chile and Mexico rounded off the top five
emerging eCommerce markets, followed by United Arab Emirates,
Malaysia, Uruguay, Turkey and Oman.
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