European web retailing set to explode

European consumer retail sales via the Internet will explode in the next four years, says a new report from New York Internet market research company eMarketer. The eEurope Report, released this week, projects $182.3 billion in b2c web sales in 2004, up from an expected $16.4 billion this year. Last year’s b2c web sales were $8.1 billion, eMarketer says. The projections represent a radical upward revision in expected sales since last year’s eEurope report. Last year, eMarketer said b2c web sales in 2002 would reach $25.2 billion; now it is expecting $37 billion. Last year, eMarketer predicted $63 billion in 2003; this year, it’s expecting $81.7 billion. “As long as the region’s Internet use continues to grow, mobile e-commerce develops and basic economic conditions remain healthy, retail e-commerce spending should increase exponentially from 2000 to 2004,” eMarketer says.

The largest dollar volume will occur in Germany ($57.7 billion) and the U.K. ($53.5 billion) in 2004, followed by France ($21.8 billion) and The Netherlands ($14.9 billion).

European b2b e-commerce in 2005 will total $797.3 billion, up from $52.4 billion this year, the report says.