Actuality March 14, 2008

   Cetelem Bank, listed in the French financial group BNP Paribas, did the "Internet trade in Europe" research. It showed that Russia is the country with the biggest potential for online trade growth.

   Together with Slovakia and Czech Republic, Russia entered the top three of the countries with the biggest potential for Internet trade growth.

In these countries are set the highest level of consumer demand and intentions to save by means of network purchases (higher then the average European one by 28%, 31% and 32% respectively). Thus, if in 2006 by the Internet in Russia were sold goods to the total sum €5,3 bln, so, already by 2010 this market should increase by 317%, experts consider. Currently, 70% from the aggregated sales volume by the Internet takes place in Great Britain, Germany, France and Belgium.

   Within the research framework were polled 10 000 people in 13 countries of Europe.

Cell phones, books, as well as airline tickets and leisure products are bought by the Internet more frequent. It is expected that since 2009 furniture, repair and food products and cars will be bought the same way also.

The experts name household appliances, cars and repair parts, gifts, jewelry, sporting goods, instruments, some clothes, hotel rooms booking and tickets sale as the most perspective items for sale by the network.

   As specialists say, the most Russian Internet users do online purchases to save time.

On the second place is the advantage of Internet shops as home-delivery service. On the third place is the goods' uniqueness and the opportunity to buy specialties.

More than one third of respondents (37%) try to save money buying goods by the network, as prices in Internet shops are lower.

Respondents, who buy nothing in Internet shops but simply visit their websites, appreciate virtual

shops for information about the products. About this said 47% of polled.

   Research also showed that the time-saving and home-delivery factors are

the most meaningful and attractive for Muscovites, than for respondents in the regions. Online buyers with high income level also frequently pointed out the same advantages of Internet shops.

   But virtual trade has some disadvantages also. The one third of respondents (36%) has marked that, in spite of the given detailed information about the product, one can not see or touch it in the Internet shop.

Another one third of respondents (31%) complained about the difficulty at products' home-delivery. Thus, about this mentioned the Internet buyers from the regions more frequent.

17% of respondents underlined that it is not always possible to find what one needs. And one has to go to the ordinary shops.

And another 13% marked that the Internet purchase process takes too much time. And about this Internet shops' disadvantage marked the buyers from the regions more frequent.

   The research also showed that virtual shopping frightens women by exactly the impossibility to see and touch the product.

Men, who reduce the ordinary shopping time to the minimum, marked such disadvantage as selection procedure and order duration speaking about the Internet shops.

   The Russians buy computers and office appliances (every fifth purchase takes place by the Internet in this segment), household appliances by the Internet more frequent. And they buy books, audio records, tourist trips and tickets rather rare.

Online purchases of clo thes and food products are not so popular in Russia as in

the countries with the developed Internet trade market.