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 favorite
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.
Partner who complement our solution in the Austrian market
VDS Fulfillment
VDS Fulfillment offers tailor-made eCommerce logistics solutions centrally from the heart of Germany: fulfilment, personalisation, shipping of advertising materials - all from a single source.
Learn more
Contcept Communication
Contcept Communication is a communications agency based in Zurich and Lausanne. We make companies visible with PR, influencer marketing and social media.
Learn more
B+S Logistik
B+S GmbH Logistik und Dienstleistungen, based in Borgholzhausen, is a full-service provider for customised logistics and service concepts.
Learn more
byrd
byrd gives e-commerce brands access to a European logistics network that enables them to scale efficiently and significantly improve their customer experience.
Learn more
Mollie
Simple payments and financial management for all companies: online payments, POS payments, recurring payments, invoicing, platform payments within Europe.
Learn more
OTE
As an experienced Microsoft partner, we deliver well thought-out ERP solutions based on Dynamics 365 Business Central. We specialize in the retail and e-commerce business for food and fashion retailers.
Learn more
PlentyONE
PlentyONE connects brands, manufacturers, and retailers to over 150 marketplaces worldwide – seamlessly, automatically, and flexibly scalable.
Learn more
T4DT
T4DT GmbH develops smart software solutions and optimizes business processes with a focus on automation and artificial intelligence
Learn more
Taxdoo
Taxdoo automates financial accounting and VAT for online merchants - GoBD-compliant, DATEV-ready and ideal for EU reporting. Less effort, more transparency.
Learn more
VCE Solutions
With our shipping platform, we ensure automated and transparent shipping and returns processing in e-commerce and retail. VCE GmbH | Innovative team. Smart solutions.
Learn more
Xentral
Cloud ERP für Händler: Automatisiert zentrale Prozesse, integriert per Schnittstellen & API. Passt sich dank Workflow Builder exakt an deine Abläufe an.
Learn moreWe are looking forward to hearing from you!
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
