E‑commerce in Austria
Austria’s e‑commerce market is dynamic, internationally oriented and growing continuously. Consumers expect a wide range of payment methods, prefer convenient home delivery and attach great importance to smooth returns processes. International platforms such as Amazon and Zalando continue to dominate – at the same time, regional marketplaces and sustainable concepts are becoming noticeably more relevant.
The Austrian market at a glance
Purchasing power
At around EUR 29,266 per capita, purchasing power in Austria will rank sixth in the EU in 2024 – significantly ahead of Germany. This makes the country one of the markets with the highest purchasing power in Europe.
Purchasing power is relatively evenly distributed regionally: Lower Austria leads the field with EUR 30,707 per capita, while Vienna brings up the rear with EUR 27,328.
This means that Austria is not only geographically close to online retailers, but also economically attractive.
Internet use and consumer behavior
Austria is a lucrative market with a high digital affinity:
- 95.3% of the population is online – that’s around 8.7 million potential customers
- 97% of them shop online – preferably for fashion, shoes and beauty products
- Mobile commerce is becoming increasingly popular – especially among young shoppers in the fashion and electronics sector
- 75% buy from foreign stores – Germany is the clear favourite
Preferred payment methods
The Austrian market offers a variety of checkout options – purchase on account remains the leader, but digital payment options are catching up fast:
- Invoice: 27%
- E-wallets (e.g. PayPal): 26%
- Credit card: 19%
- Online bank transfer: 9%
- Debit card: 6%
- SEPA direct debit: 4%
Most popular marketplaces and shops
International platforms continue to dominate e‑commerce in Austria – at the same time, local providers and sustainable alternatives are becoming noticeably more relevant:
- As a generalist, Amazon remains a permanent fixture in online retail.
- willhaben.at is one of the most frequently used platforms for classified ads.
- Zalando.at is one of the leading stores in the fashion sector
- ikea.com scores with a strong range of furniture and living products.
- universal.at covers a wide range of products.
- shop-apotheke.at is particularly well established in the drugstore and pharmacy sector.
- bestsecret.at offers exclusive brand fashion for registered members.
Regional platforms such as Shöpping.at, Beeanco and Markta are also gaining in importance.
Last-mile carriers and delivery preferences
Those who meet customer expectations in terms of reliability and clarity secure decisive competitive advantages in the Austrian market.
- Delivery preference: Home delivery in the evening is the most popular
- Delivery time: 63% of Austrians expect delivery in 2-3 days – 4% expect next-day deliver
- Transparency: Clear information on shipping costs and delivery times is mandatory
- Most popular logistics service providers: Austrian Post clearly in the lead with 59%
Returns
- Return rate: 42% of online shoppers in Austria returned at least one order in 2024
- Every fifth item is returned.
- Free return shipping is a purchasing decision for 35% of Austrian consumers.
- Returns are preferably processed via Post (AT), parcel stores and home collection.
Clear tax regulations apply to sales to Austria:
Taxes play a central role in cross‑border e‑commerce. The following requirements apply to sales to Austria:
- Delivery threshold: Starting from an annual turnover of EUR 10,000 to other EU countries, VAT is due in the respective destination country – this includes Austria.
- OSS procedure (One-Stop-Shop): Companies can use the OSS to report and pay their EU-wide turnover centrally via the Federal Central Tax Office (BZSt) – without the need for separate registrations in each individual country.
With exporto, your tax data is integrated into the shipping process and we take care of the correct preparation and transmission of the OSS declarations for you.
All services from a single source
From customer-friendly delivery options to seamless returns management to real-time tracking and data-based analyses — exporto combines all services for your international growth in one end-to-end solution.
Fast delivery
Offer your customers in Europe an outstanding customer experience—with the shortest processing times, individual shipping options for each destination country and deliveries by the most popular last-mile carriers.
Seamless integration
Thanks to simple API integration, our services fit seamlessly into your existing set-up—flexibly, individually and with minimal technical effort.
Full transparency
With the help of an intuitive dashboard, you can keep an eye on the status of your international shipments in real time—with automated data synchronization for maximum transparency.
Cross-Border
E-Commerce in
Europe
Cross‑border e‑commerce in Europe
With exporto, you reach customers in Europe’s key markets as easily as in Germany. Our shipping solution is operationally optimized for these core markets and is constantly being expanded – with a clear focus on stable processes, outstanding service quality and a compelling customer experience.
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E-Commerce in
Austria
Cross‑border e‑commerce to Austria
Austria is considered a cross‑border insider tip: Foreign orders account for almost half of e‑commerce sales – one of the highest figures in Europe. With around 8.9 million inhabitants, high purchasing power, and virtually complete Internet coverage, this market offers ideal conditions, especially for German retailers.
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E-Commerce in
Switzerland
Cross‑border e‑commerce in Switzerland
Switzerland is one of the markets with the highest purchasing power in Europe – around three times the EU average. In 2023, online sales amounted to EUR 14.7 billion. The low VAT makes the market even more attractive – especially for EU retailers.
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E-Commerce in
Denmark
Cross‑border e‑commerce in Denmark
Denmark is one of the most digitally advanced e‑commerce markets in Europe. The Danish population is tech-savvy and online growth is constantly at a high level. Danes attach particular importance to a convenient, mobile and sustainable shopping experience.
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E-Commerce in
Finland
Cross‑border e‑commerce in Finland
Finland is the smallest Nordic e‑commerce market, but has a high cross‑border affinity. The country tops the EU digitalisation index, with around 80% buying online every month. Germany is one of the top delivery countries – 42% of online shoppers order there regularly.
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E-Commerce in
Norway
Cross-border e‑commerce in Norway
Norway is one of the strongest economic markets in Europe. E‑commerce is growing constantly – international online shops are particularly popular. Norwegian customers attach great importance to reliable shipping, customs and returns processes. The simplified customs procedure VOEC offers attractive conditions – if the requirements are met.
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E-Commerce in
Sweden
Cross-border e‑commerce in Sweden
Sweden is Scandinavia’s largest e‑commerce market: digitally savvy, fast-growing and open to international retailers. Around 89% of consumers buy online every month – flexible delivery options such as pick-up stations are particularly popular.
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E-Commerce in
UK
Cross-border e‑commerce in the UK
With online sales of around EUR 152 billion, the UK is the largest e‑commerce market in Europe. Demand remains high despite Brexit. This new level of complexity offers obvious opportunities for retailers with optimised processes.
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With our end‑to‑end solution, you get all services from a single source: Logistics, tax, customs and software. Everything is perfectly coordinated and as simple as “plug & play”.
Marvin Schwarz
Sr. Business Development Representative
