Translated material
Experts reported a halving of cross-border online trade
Due to the suspension of Visa and Mastercard, the volume of purchases of Russians in foreign online stores fell in March by 55% compared to the same month last year - to 12.1 billion rubles, RBC writes with reference to the report of the Association of Internet Trade Companies ( AKIT ).
In the first two months of the year, cross-border online trading showed growth: by 67% (up to 38.4 billion rubles) in January, and by 28% in February (up to 38 billion rubles).
After payment for goods on the vast majority of international platforms became impossible, all cross-border trade focused on the marketplace "AliExpress Russia") - according to analysts, it accounted for 98% of purchases in March. About 2% more are purchases using drop-shopping services (intermediaries) in other countries, including the USA. In January, the shares of countries in cross-border trade were distributed as follows: 75% - China, 11% - the United States, almost 6% - Great Britain, 1.3% - Italy, each of the other countries in Europe and Asia - less than 1%.
The Russians compensated for the inability to make purchases in most foreign online stores with orders in local online retail - its turnover grew from month to month, and for the entire first quarter it grew by 64%, to 1.16 trillion rubles. Cross-border trade in the first quarter, given the growth in January and February, still showed an increase of 11%, to 88.6 billion rubles.
According to the results of the first quarter, ACIT estimates the entire online trading market at 1.25 trillion rubles, which is 59% more than in the same period last year. The share of e-commerce in the total retail turnover exceeded the historical maximum of the covid 2020: then in the first half of the year it exceeded 10%, now, in just one quarter of 2022, it has exceeded 11%.
ACIT notes that the main product categories when buying online have not changed. But food surpassed clothing and footwear to come in at number three in the top 5. In the first place - digital household appliances, in the second - furniture and household goods.