Swiss rank second in Europe for online spending

"Add to shopping cart": Regiodata reported in May that online sales represent about 10% of overall retail sales in Switzerland. Keystone

According to a European comparison, Swiss residents spend the second-most money annually on online purchases, after British shoppers.

Each year, people in Switzerland click their way to an average of CHF1,172 ($1,202) in online goods per person. Shoppers in Britain topped the list with CHF1,280 in online purchases, with Norwegians coming in third at CHF1,053 per year.

The figures were announced Tuesday as part of a data compilation of 19 European countries by economic data provider RegiodataExternal link. Travel purchases were not included in the final results.

Russia and Turkey had the lowest online shopping expenditures in the assessment, with values under CHF92 per year per inhabitant.

“In these regions, the average purchasing power on the internet is so low because the spatial and topographical structure of these countries is less conducive to this type of commerce,” the study authors wrote. “Logistical requirements for online orders, for example in northern Siberia, would simply not be manageable.”