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Flash EB No 300 Retailers attitudes towards cross-border trade and consumer protection Analytical report
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This survey was requested Directorate-General Health and Consumers and coordinated by Directorate-General Communication.
This document does not represent the point of view of the European Commission. The interpretations and opinions contained in it are solely those of the authors.
Flash Eurobarometer
Retailers attitudes towards
cross-border trade and
consumer protection
Analytical report
Fieldwork: September - October 2010
Report: March 2011
European Commission
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page 2
Flash EB Series #300
Retailers attitudes towards cross-border trade and consumer
protection
Conducted by The Gallup Organization
upon the request of Directorate-General
Health and Consumers
Survey coordinated by the Directorate-General Communication
This document does not reflect the views of
the European Commission. The interpretations and opinions contained
in it are solely those of the authors.
THE GALLUP ORGANIZATION
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Flash EB No 300 Retailers attitudes towards cross-border trade and consumer protection Analytical report
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Contents
Contents ..................................................................................................................................... 3
Introduction .............................................................................................................................. 4
Main Findings ........................................................................................................................... 5
1. Characteristics of the retailers surveyed ............................................................................ 9
1.1 Number and type of retail channels used .......................................................................... 9
1.2 Estimated turnover from e-commerce and other distance sales ..................................... 14
1.3 Retailers willingness to sell in different EU languages ................................................. 15
1.4 Retailers having subsidiaries or retail outlets in other EU countries .............................. 17
2. Level of cross-border trade in the internal market ......................................................... 19
2.1 Current cross-border sales .............................................................................................. 19
2.2 Estimated turnover from cross-border activities ............................................................ 21
2.3 Retailers advertising in other EU countries .................................................................... 22
2.4 Cross-border trade if regulations were the same in the EU ............................................ 24
3. Information and awareness of legal obligations towards consumers ............................ 32
3.1 Perceived level of information about legislation on consumer protection, food and
product safety ....................................................................................................................... 32
3.2 Specific knowledge of consumer legislation .................................................................. 36
3.3 Specific knowledge of product safety legislation ........................................................... 43
3.4 Finding information about consumer legislation ............................................................ 52
4. Compliance with consumer and product safety legislation ............................................ 55
4.1 Incidences of non-compliance ........................................................................................ 55
4.2 Enforcement and market surveillance ............................................................................ 61
4.3 Perceived compliance monitoring with consumer and product safety legislation ......... 70
5. Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) mechanisms ....................................................... 76
5.1 Use of ADR mechanisms to settle disputes with consumers.......................................... 76
5.2 Preference for dispute resolution mechanisms ............................................................... 79
I. Annex tables ........................................................................................................................ 82
II. Survey details ................................................................................................................... 226
III. Questionnaire ................................................................................................................. 229
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Analytical report Flash EB No 300 Retailers attitudes towards cross-border trade and consumer protection
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Introduction
The objective of Flash Eurobarometer Retailers attitudes towards cross-border trade and
consumer protection (No300) was to assess business attitudes towards cross-border trade
and consumer protection in the EU internal market. Managers of retail companies (with at
least 10 employees) were interviewed on several topics:
the use of distant sales channels and the extent of cross-border sales
their interest in making (more) cross-border sales if regulations were harmonised
their knowledge of legislation on consumer protection and product/food safety
their compliance with consumer and product safety legislation
their experience with enforcement and market surveillance actions
the use of, and preference for, different dispute resolution mechanisms
This Flash Eurobarometer (No300) is part of a trend survey; earlier waves with (partly)
similar content were conducted in 2006 (Flash Eurobarometer No186)
1, 2008 (Flash
Eurobarometer No224)
2 and 2009 (Flash Eurobarometer N
o278)
3.
The survey covered all 27 EU Member States, Iceland and Norway. Companies included in
this study were those in sectors that were considered to be likely to have significant retail
activity and to be able to sell via distance sales channels4. Of the companies surveyed, 71%
were small companies (between 10 and 49 employees), while 20% were medium-sized
companies (between 50 and 249 employees) and 9% were large companies (with at least 250
employees).
In most EU Member States and in Norway, the targeted sample size was 250; in Luxembourg,
Malta and Iceland, the targeted number of interviews was reduced to 200. Overall, 6,680
companies were interviewed, between 28th
September and 6th
October 2010, using a fixed-line
telephone methodology. Eligible respondents were general managers and marketing or
commercial managers.
Post-stratification weights were used to restore the sample proportions according to company
size and industry sector (to match these in the sample to external reference statistics). When
EU-wide summary estimates are discussed, the results of the interviews have been weighted
to correct for the disproportional selection of countries in the starting sample, so that countries
are proportionally represented in the EU average. For more details about interviewing
methods, sampling and the margins of sampling error, see the survey details section.
1 http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/flash/fl_186_en.pdf
2 http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/flash/fl_224_en.pdf
3 http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/flash/fl_278_en.pdf
4 For more details, see the technical note in annex.
http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/flash/fl_186_en.pdfhttp://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/flash/fl_224_en.pdfhttp://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/flash/fl_278_en.pdf
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Flash EB No 300 Retailers attitudes towards cross-border trade and consumer protection Analytical report
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Main Findings
Sales channels and cross-border sales
Almost three-quarters of retailers in the EU used the traditional method of selling goods or services to consumers via shops (73%; compared to 75% in 2009); a similar proportion
said they used at least one distance sales channel; for example, Internet sales or sales by
phone or post (72%; compared to 70% in 2009).
The Internet was the most common distance sales channel: a slim majority of retailers said they sold goods or services via the Internet (53%; up from 51% in 2009). The use of the
telephone as a sales channel was mentioned by 43% of retailers and mail order (e.g.
selling by post) was offered by 29% of retailers; these results were unchanged
compared to 2009.
In Ireland, Denmark and the UK, the norm was to offer customers the possibility to purchase goods or services without visiting the companys physical store or production
site: between 88% and 93% of retailers in these three countries used distance sales
channels.
Somewhat more than a fifth (22%) of retailers in the EU said they were selling their products or services in other EU countries. This proportion was lower than in 2006 (29%)
or 2009 (25%), but slightly higher than the proportion observed in 2008 (20%). Similarly,
the proportion advertising across borders was 24% in 2010; this proportion was 21% in
2008 and 25% in 2006.
The prevalence of cross-border activity continued to vary significantly across the EU: the proportion of retailers that reported selling their products or services in at least one other
EU country ranged from 9% in Romania to 54% in Luxembourg.
Companies with at least 50 employees, those with subsidiaries or outlets in another EU country, companies using distance sales channels and those prepared to carry out
transactions with customers in more than one EU language were more involved in cross-
border advertising and sales activities.
One-third of all retailers answered that they would be interested in making cross-border sales if laws regulating transactions with consumers were the same across the EU.
Moreover, 31% of retailers thought their cross-border sales would increase in a more
harmonised regulatory environment. The surveys current results were similar to those
observed in 2009, but were considerably less positive than in 2008 (49% interested in
making cross-border sales and 46% cross-border sales will increase)
Information and awareness of legal obligations towards consumers
More than 8 in 10 (82%) of retailers felt they were at least well informed about legal obligations towards consumers arising from consumer legislation in force in their country.
This figure was practically unchanged compared to 2009; in 2008, on the other hand, a
lower proportion of retailers felt at least well informed about consumer legislation (77%).
Almost 9 in 10 retailers that sell consumer products felt at least well informed about rules and regulations relating to product safety (86%; +6 percentage points compared to
2009). Similarly, about 8 in 10 (81%) retailers that sell food products felt at least well
informed about legislation on food safety.
A large majority (81%) of retailers answered that they knew where to find relevant information or where to ask for advice about consumer legislation in force in their
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Analytical report Flash EB No 300 Retailers attitudes towards cross-border trade and consumer protection
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country, and 29% knew where to look for information or advice about consumer
legislation in force in other EU countries (up from 22% in 2009).
Specific knowledge about consumer and product safety legislation
About a quarter (26%) of retailers knew the exact period during which consumers have the right to return a defective product. Among retailers that use distance sales channels,
less than 3 in 10 (27%) could correctly state the length of the cooling-off period for
distance sales in their country.
In terms of knowledge about prohibited practices, a fifth or more of retailers incorrectly assumed that it was not prohibited in their country:
to describe a product as free although it is only freely available to customers calling a premium rate phone number (21% incorrect responses)
to advertise products at a very low price compared to other offers without having a reasonable quantity of products for sale is prohibited in their country (29% incorrect
responses)
to include an invoice or a similar document seeking payment in marketing material (26% incorrect responses).
A majority of retailers in the EU thought that a small number of non-food products currently on the market in their country were unsafe (60%) and a somewhat lower
proportion (57%) said the same about unsafe food products marketed in their country.
A large majority of retailers that sell consumer products correctly identified the following statements about product safety as being true:
Retailers must not place unsafe products on the market (9% incorrect responses)
Retailers must be able to present technical documentation on the safety of their products (10% incorrect responses)
Upon the authorities request, retailers must cooperate with the authorities to prevent risks posed by products which they supplied (10% incorrect responses).
Similarly, a large majority of retailers that sell food products correctly identified the following statements about food safety as being true:
All businesses are responsible for the safety of the food products they sell (6% incorrect responses)
All businesses selling food to final consumers must be able to identify their suppliers (6% incorrect responses)
All businesses in the food sector must implement HACCP procedures for risk containment purposes (8% incorrect responses).
Compliance with consumer and product safety legislation
When asked whether they complied with all legislation dealing with the economic interests of consumers, virtually all retailers declared that they did: 70% agreed strongly
and 27% agreed. Retailers were more sceptical when asked whether their competitors
complied with consumer legislation: 80% agreed and 9% disagreed that their
competitors complied with this legislation. These results were practically unchanged
compared to 2009.
Respondents who said they were fully informed about consumer legislation were more likely to strongly agree that they complied with this legislation (80% vs. 62% of
respondents who did not feel well informed about consumer legislation).
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Flash EB No 300 Retailers attitudes towards cross-border trade and consumer protection Analytical report
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Virtually all retailers in all countries surveyed answered that they complied with legislation dealing with the economic interests of consumers. Moreover, in almost all
countries in this study, a vast majority of retailers also thought that their competitors acted
in accordance with consumer legislation, with respondents in Malta and Finland having
the firmest view in this matter (89% agreed).
About a fifth of retailers had come across fraudulent advertisements or offers made by competitors in the past 12 months (21%; practically unchanged compared to 2009), and a
quarter had come across misleading or deceptive advertisements (25%; -3 point compared
to 2009). Among retailers that sell consumer products, 7% said they were aware that their
competitors had knowingly sold unsafe products in the past 12 months (unchanged
compared to 2009).
Enforcement and market surveillance
One in six retailers in the EU said that consumer authorities had contacted them in the past two years for an inspection of their national sales. Less than 1 in 20 (3%; compared to 2%
in 2009) retailers said that they had been contacted by consumer authorities for an
inspection of their cross-border sales. Focusing solely on retailers that made cross-border
sales 4% stated the same.
Retailers in Hungary and Romania were the most likely to have been contacted by consumer authorities in the past two years in the framework of an inspection of their
national sales (50% and 53%, respectively).
As in the previous wave of this trend survey, somewhat more than a fifth (22%) of retailers had learned about a breach of consumer legislation in their market through the
media in the past two years. In addition, just 5% had been contacted by consumer
authorities (or consumer organisations) about a possible breach of consumer legislation by
their own company during that period.
Focusing solely on retailers that sell consumer products, somewhat more than 4 in 10 (42%; up from 38% in 2009) declared that they had carried out product safety tests in the
past two years, while a smaller proportion (27%; down from 29% in 2009) had been
subjected to a product safety test by the authorities.
Retailers in Cyprus and Romania were not only among the most likely to have carried out safety tests themselves in the past two years (70% and 57%, respectively), they were also
among the most likely to have been subjected to a test by the authorities (55% and 65%,
respectively).
Product recalls concerned a minority of retailers: in the past two years, 10% of retailers were asked by the authorities to withdraw or recall one of their products and 5% were
asked to issue a public warning about one of their products. Finally, 11% of retailers in the
EU had received complaints from consumers about the safety of a product they sold in the
past two years. These results were practically unchanged compared to 2009.
Perceived compliance monitoring with consumer and product safety legislation
About 8 in 10 (79%) retailers agreed that public authorities actively monitor and ensure compliance with consumer legislation in their sector in their country, this proportion was
somewhat higher than in 2009 when 74% agreed with the statement. A similar picture
emerged when retailers were asked about monitoring compliance with legislation of
product safety (81% agreed; up from 76% in 2009) and food safety (76% agreed).
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Analytical report Flash EB No 300 Retailers attitudes towards cross-border trade and consumer protection
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Slightly more than 6 in 10 (62%) retailers agreed that consumer NGOs actively monitor compliance with consumer legislation in their sector in their country and the same
proportion agreed that self-regulatory bodies actively monitor the respect of codes of
conduct or codes of practice in their sector in their country. These results were unchanged
compared to 2009.
Although about two-thirds (66%) of retailers answered that the media regularly report on businesses which do not respect consumer legislation, less than a fifth (18%) said they had
changed their commercial practices as a result of a media story. The results were similar
to the ones observed in 2009 (65% and 17%, respectively).
Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) mechanisms
On average, 9% of retailers in the EU had used ADR mechanisms to settle disputes with customers in the past two years and 6% said they were a member of an ADR body, 44%
of retailers were not aware of the existence of such mechanisms. The current survey and
the one conducted in 2009 measured similarly low levels of ADR usage (in 2009, 8% of
retailers had used ADR mechanisms and 5% reported being a member of an ADR body).
ADR mechanisms were most frequently used in Denmark (24%) and Norway (21%). In Italy, Sweden, Cyprus, Malta and France, however, not more than 1 in 20 retailers had
used ADR mechanisms in the two years prior to the survey (3%-5%).
In case of a dispute with a group of consumers, a slim majority of retailers said they would prefer to use ADR mechanisms to resolve the issue: 40% mentioned individual
ADR and 14% selected collective ADR. Less than a sixth (16%) of retailers would prefer
to go to court in order to settle a dispute.
Retailers appeared to prefer individual ways to settle disputes over collective ones (40% individual vs. 14% collective for ADR mechanisms and 11% vs. 5% for court
proceedings).
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Flash EB No 300 Retailers attitudes towards cross-border trade and consumer protection Analytical report
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1. Characteristics of the retailers surveyed
For this study, companies were chosen that are among those engaged in direct retail activity
or providing services targeted at final consumers, and employing at least 10 people. The study
is therefore only representative of the Business to Consumer (B2C) sector; it includes a
sample of such businesses in each EU Member State, as well as Norway and Iceland. For
reasons of simplicity, the surveyed companies will be referred to as retailers throughout this
report, although the supply of both goods and services is included.
The current chapter sets out the basis for the remainder of the report by presenting
information on the following characteristics of the retailers surveyed:
number and type of sales channels used
estimated turnover from e-commerce and other distance sales
number of languages that retailers were prepared to use with customers
number of subsidiaries or retail outlets in other EU countries
1.1 Number and type of retail channels used
Almost three-quarters (73%) of
retailers in the EU used the traditional
method of selling goods or services to
consumers via shops; a similar
proportion (72%) mentioned at least
one out-of-premise (distance) sales
channel.
The Internet was the most common
distance sales channel: a slim
majority (53%) of retailers said they
sold goods or services via the
Internet. The use of the telephone as a
sales channel was mentioned by 43%,
while 29% of retailers mentioned mail
order (e.g. selling by post) and 9%
said they used doorstep selling.
Finally, about a quarter (26%) of
retailers used other out-of-premises
sales channels (e.g. fairs, markets or street vending). These results were practically unchanged
from the previous wave conducted in 2009.
Type of retail channels used
73
53
43
29
9
26
2
75
51
43
29
7
25
1
In-premises sales
Internet
Phone
Post
Doorstep selling
Other out-of-premises channels
DK/NA
Fl300 (2010)
Fl278 (2009)
D3. Which of the following sales channels do you use?Base: all retailers, % of mentions, EU27
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Analytical report Flash EB No 300 Retailers attitudes towards cross-border trade and consumer protection
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In-premises sales5
Malta and Portugal had the highest proportion of retailers that used in-premises sales channels
to sell goods or services to consumers (91% and 94%, respectively). In Spain, the Czech
Republic and Latvia, on the other hand, less than 6 in 10 retailers offered their goods and
services directly to customers in shops (52%-56%).
94 9187 86 86 85 85 83 80 80 79 79 79 77 76 76 76 74 74 73 71 69 67 64 64
56 55 52
84 81
0
20
40
60
80
100
PT
MT
SE
AT
EL FI
HU
BG IE DK
CY
SK
FR
NL
DE
EE
UK SI
LT
EU
27
PL
BE IT LU
RO
LV
CZ
ES
NO IS
Retailers sales channels: In-premises sales
D3. Which of the following sales channels do you use?Base: all retailers, % of mentions by country
Distance sales
In almost all countries included in this study, more than half of retailers mentioned at least
one out-of-premise (distance) sales channel; the only exception being Portugal: 47% of
retailers in this country indicated that they used at least one of the distance sales methods
listed in the survey, including the other out-of-premises sales channel option.
In Ireland, Denmark and the UK, the norm was to offer customers the possibility to purchase
goods or services without visiting the companys physical store or production site: between
88% and 93% of retailers in these countries offered at least one distance sales method to
customers.
5 Country charts in this report show the results for each of the 27 EU Member States, Iceland and
Norway. The EU27 results present the average result for the 27 EU Member States (without Iceland
and Norway) weished according to differences in population size across individual Member States.
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Flash EB No 300 Retailers attitudes towards cross-border trade and consumer protection Analytical report
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9389 88
80 80 7974 73 72 71 69 69 68 68 67 66 64 63 61 59 59 58 56 55 55 53 51
47
81
63
0
20
40
60
80
100
UK
DK
IE
CZ
SI
ES
LU
EE
EU
27
DE
FR
AT
NL
EL
HU
IT
FI
SE
LV
MT
SK
PL
CY
BE
LT
BG
RO
PT IS
NO
Retailers using distance sales channels
Note: proportion of retailers that were using at least one distance sales channel (incl. via the Internet, by phone, via the postal service, doorstep selling or other out-of-premises channels)
D3. Which of the following sales channels do you use?Base: all retailers, % of mentions by country
The following chart shows for the EU overall and for each country the proportion of
retailers that mentioned at least one distance sales channel in 2009 and in 2010. The country
rankings showed similarities between the two surveys; for example, both in 2009 and in 2010,
retailers in Ireland, Denmark and the UK were the most likely to say that they used at least
one of the distance sales methods listed in the survey6.
91
90
83
63
72
73
52
64
70
72
64
73
66
68
62
57
68
63
61
72
55
67
55
68
67
43
51
52
79
83
93
89
88
80
80
79
74
73
72
71
69
69
68
68
67
66
64
63
61
59
59
58
56
55
55
53
51
47
81
63
0
20
40
60
80
100
UK
DK IE CZ SI
ES
LU
EE
EU
27
DE
FR
AT
NL
EL
HU IT FI
SE
LV
MT
SK
PL
CY
BE
LT
BG
RO
PT IS
NO
Fl278 (2009) Fl300 (2010)
Retailers using distance sales channels, 2009-2010
Note: proportion of retailers that were using at least one ditance sales channel (incl. via the Internet, by phone, via the postal service, doorstep selling or other out-of-premises channels)
D3. Which of the following sales channels do you use?Base: all retailers, % of mentions by country
When analysing the average number of distance sales channels (i.e. Internet, sales by phone,
by post, and doorstep sales7) used for retail purposes, it appears that an average retailer in the
EU offered at least one of these channels (1.35; the equivalent figure in 2009 was 1.31). Irish
and British retailers were those making the most use of multiple distance sales channels
(average number of such channels: 2.03 and 2.30, respectively), while those in Latvia, Bulgaria,
Portugal and Romania seemed to show less interest (averages between 0.56 and 0.60).
6 Due to the relatively small sample sizes, some caution should be exercised when comparing
individual country results across the different waves of the survey. 7 This number excludes other out-of-premises sales channels.
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Analytical report Flash EB No 300 Retailers attitudes towards cross-border trade and consumer protection
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2.3
0
2.0
3
1.5
8
1.5
4
1.4
9
1.3
8
1.3
8
1.3
5
1.3
5
1.3
2
1.2
7
1.2
6
1.2
0
1.2
0
1.15
1.0
3
0.9
9
0.9
7
0.9
4
0.8
6
0.8
5
0.8
0
0.7
5
0.7
3
0.6
0
0.5
7
0.5
7
0.5
6
1.6
5
1.2
7
0
1
2
3
4
UK IE DK
FR SI
EL
EE
AT
EU
27
DE
LU
NL
SE
HU ES
CZ FI
MT IT SK
PL
BE
LT
CY
RO
PT
BG
LV IS
NO
Average number of distance sales channels used for retail purposes(Internet, telephone, mail order and doorstep selling)
Note: sum of affirmative answers (incl. via the Internet, by phone, via the postal service and doorstep selling)
D3. Which of the following sales channels do you use?Base: all retailers, % of mentions by country
While about a fifth (19%) of retailers in Romania said they sold goods or services via the
Internet, this proportion was almost four times higher in the UK (78%). In a further 12
countries, more than half of retailers used the Internet as a sales channel; for example, 54% in
Estonia, 57% in Iceland and 65% in Ireland.
Across most countries surveyed, the Internet was the most common distance sales channel.
For example, 58% of retailers in Austria said they sold goods or services via the Internet,
while using the telephone or mail order as sales channels were mentioned by smaller
proportions (43% and 27%, respectively).
78
6558 57 56 56 55 54 53 53 53 52 50 50 49 49 48 48
42 4136 35
31 31 28 26 2419
5751
0
20
40
60
80
100
UK IE AT
DK SI
EL
FR
EE
DE
EU
27
CZ
NL
ES
SE IT
HU
MT FI
LU
SK
BE
LT
CY
PT
PL
BG
LV
RO IS
NO
Retailers sales channels: the Internet
D3. Which of the following sales channels do you use?Base: all retailers, % of mentions by country
In accordance with the results observed in 2009, retailers in Romania, Latvia and Bulgaria
remained the least likely in the EU to use e-commerce for retail purposes. For example, in
both waves of the survey, roughly a fifth of retailers in Romania said they sold goods or
services via the Internet (19%-23%). Retailers in the UK, on the other hand, were once
again the most likely to use the Internet as a sales channel8.
8 Due to the relatively small sample sizes, some caution should be exercised when comparing
individual country results across the different waves of the survey.
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Flash EB No 300 Retailers attitudes towards cross-border trade and consumer protection Analytical report
page 13
71
58
57
50
55
44
52
37
54
51
46
49
44
54
47
34
58
48
31
35
53
46
26
30
35
27
29
23
54
65
78
65
58
57
56
56
55
54
53
53
53
52
50
50
49
49
48
48
42
41
36
35
31
31
28
26
24
19
57
51
0
20
40
60
80
100
UK
IE
AT
DK
SI
EL
FR
EE
DE
EU
27
CZ
NL
ES
SE
IT
HU
MT
FI
LU
SK
BE
LT
CY
PT
PL
BG
LV
RO IS
NO
Fl278 (2009) Fl300 (2010)
Retailers sales channels: Internet
D3. Which of the following sales channels do you use?Base: all retailers, % of mentions by country
As in the previous wave of this trend survey, sales by phone and via the postal service were
most frequently mentioned in the UK and Ireland: 80% and 74%, respectively, for the
telephone as a sales channel and 63% and 53%, respectively, for mail order.
In Portugal, Romania, Latvia and Bulgaria, on the other hand, less than a fifth of retailers said
they sold their products or services by phone (15%-18%), and mail order was mentioned as a
sales channel by less than a tenth of retailers in Latvia, Cyprus, Belgium and Portugal (5%-6%).
8074
5349 49 49
45 43 43 41 41 39 39 3934 34 33 33
30 29 28 25 2522
18 17 17 15
58
44
0
20
40
60
80
100
UK IE DK
FR
SE
EE SI
AT
EU
27
DE
NL
EL FI
LU ES
HU
BE
CZ
MT
CY
SK IT LT
PL
BG
LV
RO
PT IS
NO
Retailers sales channels: Telephone
D3. Which of the following sales channels do you use?Base: all retailers, % of mentions by country
63
53
36 3631 29 29 28 27 25 25 23 21 19 18 17 16 14 14 13 13 10 10 10
6 6 5 5
35
24
0
20
40
60
80
100
UK
IE
FR
SI
DE
EU
27
DK
LU
AT
NL
EL
EE
ES
SE
HU
MT
PL
CZ
SK
LT
IT
RO FI
BG
PT
BE
CY
LV IS
NO
Retailers sales channels: Mail order
D3. Which of the following sales channels do you use?Base: all retailers, % of mentions by country
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Analytical report Flash EB No 300 Retailers attitudes towards cross-border trade and consumer protection
page 14
Doorstep sales were most often used as a sales method by retailers in Denmark, Greece,
Luxembourg, Hungary and Poland (18%-20%), but were rarely used by retailers in Malta,
Lithuania, Finland, Sweden, the Czech Republic and Slovakia (2%-3%).
20 19 19 19 1815 14 13 12 11 10 10 9 9 8 7 7 7 6 6 5 4 3 3 3 2 2 2
158
0
20
40
60
80
PL
HU
LU
EL
DK
FR
RO SI
EE
IE
LV
ES
EU
27
UK
NL
CY
AT
DE
IT
PT
BE
BG
SK
CZ
SE
FI
LT
MT IS
NO
Retailers sales channels: Doorstep selling
D3. Which of the following sales channels do you use?Base: all retailers, % of mentions by country
Company characteristics
9
Selling products or services via distance sales channels was more characteristic of companies
with more employees; for example, while roughly two-thirds (66%) of respondents in large
companies (with 250 employees or more) said they made e-commerce sales, this proportion
dropped to 51% for respondents in small companies (between 10 and 49 employees).
Similarly, roughly half of respondents in medium-sized and large companies used the
telephone as a sales method (both 49%); the corresponding proportion for respondents in
small companies was 42%.
For further details, see annex table 4b.
1.2 Estimated turnover from e-commerce and other distance sales
Retailers were also asked to estimate turnover generated by e-commerce and other distance
sales. Many respondents found it difficult to answer these questions10
. For example, among
retailers that reported using the Internet as a sales channel, 22% said they did not know what
percentage of their turnover came from e-commerce, 8% said that this question was not
applicable to their situation and 4% thought that no turnover was generated by Internet sales.
In this section, we focus solely on those retailers that were able to estimate how much of their
total turnover came from Internet sales or other distance sales.
Focusing solely on retailers that were selling products or services via the Internet (and that
were able to estimate their turnover from e-commerce), 27% estimated that these sales
accounted for more than 30% of their total turnover and 24% said that this share was between
11% and 30%. About half of retailers in this group estimated that between 1% and 10% of
their turnover came from e-commerce.
9 This section and others discussing results by company characteristics focuses solely on
interviews conducted in the EU (i.e. they do not include Iceland and Norway). 10
Given that a relatively small number of respondents answered this question, caution should be
exercised when interpreting the results at individual country level; for more details, see annex table
10b and 11b.
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Flash EB No 300 Retailers attitudes towards cross-border trade and consumer protection Analytical report
page 15
Estimated percentage of total turnover from e-commerce and
Internet sales
33
1624
27 1 - 5%
6 - 10%
11 - 30%
30+ %
A2_a. Please indicate an estimate of the percentage of your total turnover from: e-commerce/Internet salesBase: retailers using e-commerce, % valid responses, EU27
22
9
20
49
Estimated percentage of total turnover from other distance sales
(by phone, via the postal service or via home visits)
A2_b. Please indicate an estimate of the percentage of your total turnover from: other distance sales (i.e. by
phone, post or home-visit)Base: Retailers using other distance sales channels than the
Internet, % valid responses, EU27
Focusing solely on retailers that were selling products or services via telephone, the postal
service or home visits (and that were able to estimate their turnover from such distance sales),
the largest proportion (48%) estimated that these distance sales accounted for more than 30%
of their total turnover. A fifth estimated that between 11% and 30% of their turnover came
from distance sales method other than e-commerce and about a third estimated that this
percentage was between 1% and 10%.
1.3 Retailers willingness to sell in different EU languages
More than 4 in 10 (45%) retailers in the EU said they were only prepared to carry out
transactions with customers in their own countrys language; this proportion was higher than
in previous waves (39% in 2008 and 34% in 2006).
Conversely, a slim majority of retailers were prepared to carry out transactions with
customers in more than one EU language. More precisely, 22% said they were willing to use
two EU languages with customers, 15% were able to carry out transactions in three EU
languages and 17% in four or more EU languages.
Number of EU languages that can be used to carry out transactions with customers
45
39
34
22
25
26
15
19
20
17
15
18
2
2
2
Fl300 (2010) %EU27
Fl224 (2008) %EU27
Fl186 (2006) %EU25
Country's language 2 languages 3 languages 4+ languages DK/NA
D6 (2010)/Q4(2008)/Q5(2006). In how many EU languages are you currently prepared to carry out transations with consumers?
Question not included in Fl278 (2009)Base: all retailers
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Analytical report Flash EB No 300 Retailers attitudes towards cross-border trade and consumer protection
page 16
Respondents in Ireland and the UK were the most likely to say that they were only prepared
to use English with customers (67% and 74%, respectively). In a further five countries, a
majority of respondents said they would only use their countrys language when carrying out
transactions with customers: 51% in Sweden and Bulgaria, 54% in Poland, 55% in Spain and
57% in France.
In several countries, the ability to use several languages with customers was the norm. More
than 8 in 10 retailers in Luxembourg (86%), Finland (89%) and Malta (92%) said they were
able to use at least one additional EU language to carry out transactions with customers. The
proportion of retailers that were prepared to use more than one EU language with customers
was also higher than three-quarters in Germany, Cyprus, Austria, Greece, Belgium and
Estonia (76%-78%).
7467
57 55 54 51 51 49 46 45 43 43 39 38 37 34 33 31 26 25 23 22 22 21 2013 11 7
35 31
2532
41 43 45 48 46 50 51 54 55 57 59 61 6258 66 67 72 76 76 76 76 76 78
86 89 92
6163
2 1 2 2 1 1 3 2 3 2 2 1 2 1 2 81 2 3 0 1 2 2 3 2 1 0 1 4 7
0
20
40
60
80
100
UK IE FR
ES
PL
BG
SE
RO
LV
EU
27
DK
PT IT SI
CZ
NL
HU
SK
LT
DE
CY
AT
EL
BE
EE
LU FI
MT IS
NO
Country's language only At least one other EU language DK/NA
Number of EU languages that can be used to carry out transactions with consumers
D6. In how many EU languages are you currently prepared to carry out transations with consumers?Base: all retailers, % by country
Company characteristics
More than 4 in 10 (45%) respondents in small companies said they were only prepared to
carry out transactions with customers in their own countrys language; this proportion
decreased to 35% for respondents from large companies.
The proportion of respondents who said they were prepared to use two or three EU languages
with customers was similar in small, medium-sized and large companies (between 34% and
37%); respondents in large companies, however, were more likely to answer that they were
able to use four or more EU languages to carry out transactions with customers (28% vs. 16%
in small companies and 23% in medium-sized companies).
For further details, see annex table 8b.
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Flash EB No 300 Retailers attitudes towards cross-border trade and consumer protection Analytical report
page 17
1.4 Retailers having subsidiaries or retail outlets in other EU countries
As in 2009, a tenth of retailers
said that they had subsidiaries or
retail outlets in the EU outside
their own country. More
precisely, 4% of retailers had
subsidiaries or retail outlets in
one other EU country, 2% in two
or three countries other than the
one in which the interview took
place, and 4% in at least four
other EU countries.
More than 8 in 10 (83%) retailers
in the EU said they had no
business units in other EU
countries; at the individual
country level, this proportion
varied between 58% in Estonia
and 92% in Greece.
A quarter of retailers in Luxembourg (25%), and about a fifth of those in the Czech Republic,
Estonia and Slovakia (19%-20%), reported having at least one subsidiary or outlet in another
EU country. It should, however, also be noted that 23% of respondents in Estonia did not
know the exact number of countries in which they had subsidiaries or retail outlets; other
countries with a high proportion of dont know responses were Spain (15%), the
Netherlands (17%), Romania (18%) and Bulgaria (26%).
92 89 88 88 88 87 87 86 86 86 83 82 81 81 80 80 80 78 77 77 76 76 75 74 70 69 6958
8271
6 8 8 8 12 5 8 1114
8 10 12 10 1219
13 1310 12 13 8
177
20
1325
619
17
16
2 3 4 4 1 7 6 30
7 8 6 8 71
7 7 12 11 11 157
186
176
26 23
113
0
20
40
60
80
100
EL
UK
DE
SE IE
HU
MT FI
SI
PL
EU
27
LT IT PT
CZ
FR
LV
AT
DK
CY
ES
BE
RO
SK
NL
LU
BG
EE IS
NO
None At least one DK/NA
Number of EU countries where retailers have subsidiaries or retail outlets
D1. In how many EU countries outside [YOUR COUNTRY] do you have subsidiaries or retail outlets?Base: all retailers, % by country
Number of EU countries where retailers have subsidiaries or retail outlets
83
82
83
82
4
3
4
4
2
2
3
3
4
5
4
5
8
8
6
6
Fl300 (2010) %EU27
Fl278 (2009) %EU27
Fl224 (2008) %EU27
Fl186 (2006) %EU25
None 1 2 - 3 4 + DK/NA
D1(2010)/C5(2009). In how many EU countries outside [YOUR COUNTRY] do you have subsidiaries or retail outlets?
D4(2008). Besides [COUNTRY], in how many EU countries do you have subsidiaries or retail outlets?
D4(2006). Including [COUNTRY], in how many EU countries do you have subsidiaries or retail outlets? - countries
Base: all retailers, %EU27
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Analytical report Flash EB No 300 Retailers attitudes towards cross-border trade and consumer protection
page 18
Company characteristics
The larger a retailing companys workforce, the more likely it was to have subsidiaries or
retail outlets in several EU countries. For example, a sixth of respondents from companies
with at least 250 employees said that they had subsidiaries or retail outlets in at least four
other EU countries, compared to 6% of respondents in companies with between 50 and 249
employees and 3% in companies with between 10 and 49 employees.
For further details, see annex table 2b.
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Flash EB No 300 Retailers attitudes towards cross-border trade and consumer protection Analytical report
page 19
2. Level of cross-border trade in the internal market
The level of cross-border transactions is one measure of the degree of integration of the retail
side of the internal market; it reflects the extent to which retailers are prepared to sell directly
to consumers throughout the internal market. Business potential for cross-border trade,
however, has failed to materialise in the past few years: in the current survey, 22% of retailers
said they were conducting cross-border transactions. This proportion was lower in 2006
(29%) or 2009 (25%), but slightly higher than what was observed in 2008 (20%).
In detail, this chapter looks at the following characteristics of the retailers surveyed:
number of EU countries to which retailers make cross-border sales
estimated turnover from cross-border activities
number of countries where retailers actively advertise their products or services
interest in making (more) cross-border sales if regulations were harmonised
2.1 Current cross-border sales
Roughly three-quarters (74%) of retailers in the EU did not sell products or services to
customers in other EU countries. This proportion was slightly higher than was measured in
2009 (71%), but similar to what was observed in 2008 (75%).
Slightly more than a fifth of retailers said they also sold to consumers in other EU countries.
More precisely, 2% of retailers reported selling products and services in just one additional EU
country, 6% mentioned two or three other EU countries and the largest proportion 13% was
engaged in cross-border sales in at least four other EU countries.
Number of EU countries where retailers make cross-border sales to final consumers, 2006-2010
74
71
75
67
2
5
4
6
6
6
6
9
13
14
10
14
4
4
4
4
Fl300 (2010) %EU27
Fl278 (2009) %EU27
Fl224 (2008) %EU27
Fl186 (2006) %EU25
None 1 2 - 3 4 + DK/NA
A1(2010)/C6(2009)/Q5(2008)/Q6(2006). To how many EU countries do you currently make cross-border sales to final consumers?
Base: all retailers
The prevalence of cross-border activity continued to vary significantly across the EU: the
proportion of retailers not selling to consumers in other EU countries ranged from 45% in
Luxembourg to 90% in Poland. In Finland and Romania, nearly 9 in 10 retailers only sold to
customers in their own country (87%-88%).
Cross-border selling was most common in Luxembourg: 54% of retailers in this country
reported selling their products or services in at least one additional EU country. Furthermore,
25% of retailers in Luxembourg said they sold their products or services in at least four other
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Analytical report Flash EB No 300 Retailers attitudes towards cross-border trade and consumer protection
page 20
EU countries. Retailers in Italy, the UK, Greece, Slovenia, Malta and Iceland were, however,
almost as likely to make cross-border sales in at least four EU countries (18%-22%).
In accordance with the results observed in 2009, retailers in Luxembourg and Romania were
at the extremes in terms of cross-border activity. Furthermore, for the EU overall and for
many individual countries, the proportion of retailers that reported selling their products or
services in at least one additional EU country appears to be somewhat lower in 2010 than in
200911
.
46
43
32
29
15 22
33
30
25
24
24
37
26
32
35
25
19 14 23
29
15 25
19 15 12 16 30
8 32
21
54
32
30
30
29
29
27
27
27
25
24
24
23
23
22
22
21
20
19 19 19 18 18 17 14
10 10 9
30
18
0
20
40
60
80
100
LU
AT
EL
SK
BE
IT
SI
DK
NL
UK
MT
IE
LT
EE
DE
EU
27
HU
LV
CY
CZ
SE
FR
ES
PT
BG
FI
PL
RO IS
NO
Fl278 (2009) Fl300 (2010)
Number of EU countries where retailers make cross-border sales to final consumers
A1(2010)/C6(2009)/Q5(2008)/Q6(2006). To how many EU countries do you currently make cross-border sales to final consumers? Base: all retailers, % Sell to at least one another EU country by country
5 5 2 4 6 3 1 17 3 2 3 5 3 2 2 2 4 3 3 3 1 2 1 3 2 3 1 3 4
2515
913 11
87 10
8
3 2 77 11
6 7 11 6 9 6 7 6 4 5 5 1 4 35 4
25
1220
13 1218
20 1613
19 2114 11 9 13 13 8 10 8 10 9 11 12 11 6
7 3 5
22
11
0
20
40
60
80
LU
AT
EL
SK
BE
IT
SI
DK
NL
UK
MT
IE
LT
EE
EU
27
DE
HU
LV
CZ
CY
SE
FR
ES
PT
BG
FI
PL
RO IS
NO
1 2 - 3 4 +
Number of EU countries where retailers make cross-border sales to final consumers
A1. To how many EU countries do you currently make cross-border sales to final consumers?Base: all retailers, % by country
Number of countries other than own:
11
Due to the relatively small sample sizes, some caution should be exercised when comparing
individual country results across the different waves of the survey.
-
Flash EB No 300 Retailers attitudes towards cross-border trade and consumer protection Analytical report
page 21
54
32 30 30 29 29 27 27 27 25 24 24 23 23 22 22 21 20 19 19 19 18 18 1714
10 10 9
30
18
45
6168 69
64 66
73 71
6368
75 74 73 7677 74
7974
77 78 7880 78 80
8287
90 88
67
81
0
20
40
60
80
100
LU
AT
EL
SK
BE IT SI
DK
NL
UK
MT IE LT
EE
DE
EU
27
HU
LV
CY
CZ
SE
FR
ES
PT
BG FI
PL
RO IS
NO
Selling in at least one other EU country Selling only to consumers in their own country
Number of EU countries where retailers make cross-border sales to final consumers
A1. To how many EU countries do you currently make cross-border sales to final consumers?Base: all retailers, % by country
Company characteristics
Companies with at least 50 employees, those with subsidiaries or retail outlets in another EU
country, companies using distance sales channels and those prepared to carry out transactions
with customers in more than one EU language were more likely to be engaged in cross-border
sales. For example, 45% of companies with subsidiaries or outlets in another EU country sold
their products or services in different countries, compared to only 19% of companies without
such subsidiaries or outlets.
For more details, see annex table 9b
2.2 Estimated turnover from cross-border activities
As seen in section 1.2, many respondents found it difficult to answer questions about turnover
generated by e-commerce and other distance sales; as such, caution should be exercised when
interpreting the results in this section12
. In this section, we focus solely on those retailers that
were able to estimate how much of their total turnover came from Internet sales or other
distance sales to consumers living in other EU countries.
Focusing solely on retailers that were using e-commerce and that reported selling their
products or services across borders (and that were able to answer this question), 56% said that
more than 10% of their e-commerce turnover came from sales in other EU countries and 44%
estimated that this proportion was between 1% and 10%. The corresponding proportions for
retailers that were using other distance sales channels were 55% and 45%, respectively.
12
Given that a relativaley small number of respondents answered this question, caution should be
exercised when interpreting these results at individual country level; for more details, see annex table
12b and 13b.
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Analytical report Flash EB No 300 Retailers attitudes towards cross-border trade and consumer protection
page 22
Estimated percentage of the total value of e-commerce and Internet sales to
consumers living in other EU countries
31
13
56
1 - 5%
6 - 10%
11 + %
A3. Of the total value of your E-COMMERCE/INTERNET SALES, can you estimate the percentage to consumers
living in other EU countries?Base: retailers making cross-borders sales and involved in e-
commerce, and that gave an estimated percentage of their total turnover from e-commerce, % valid responses, EU27
32
12
56
Estimated percentage of total turnover from from distance sales to consumers living in
other EU countries
A4. Can you estimate what percentage of your total sales to final consumers by phone, post, e-commerce and home-
visit are cross-border sales to EU countries?Base: retailers that were using other distance sales channels and
selling across borders and that gave an estimated percentage of their total turnover from distance sales, %EU27
2.3 Retailers advertising in other EU countries
Two-thirds of retailers in the EU did not actively advertise their products or services to
consumers in other EU countries; almost a quarter (24%) said they did. The latter proportion
was 21% in 2008 and 25% in 2006.
In order to facilitate cross-border sales, 5% of retailers advertised in one other EU country
(5% in 2008) and the same proportion said they marketed their products or services in two or
three additional countries (6% in 2008). Almost three times as many (14%) of retailers said
they advertised in four or more other EU countries (10% in 2008).
Number of other EU countries where retailers actively market/advertise to final consumers
67
72
69
5
5
5
5
6
7
14
10
13
9
7
7
Fl300 (2010) %EU27
Fl224 (2008) %EU27
Fl186 (2006) %EU25
None 1 2 - 3 4 + DK/NA
D5(2010)/Q2(2008). Besides [COUNTRY], to how many EU countries do you actively market/advertise to final consumers?
Q2(2006). Including [COUNTRY], to how many EU countries do you actively market/advertise to final consumers?
Question not included in Fl278 (2009)Base: all retailers
In accordance with the results for prevalence of cross-border trade, retailers in Luxembourg
were the most likely to say that they actively advertised their products or services in other EU
countries (43%). Slovakia was close to Luxembourg with 40% of retailers advertising across
-
Flash EB No 300 Retailers attitudes towards cross-border trade and consumer protection Analytical report
page 23
borders. In Romania, Sweden, Hungary, Finland and Norway, however, less than a sixth of
retailers marketed their products or services in other EU countries (13%-15%).
43 4033 33 32 32 30 29 29 27 27 26 25 24 24 23 23 23 20 19 19 18 18 17 15 15 13 13
31
15
48 52 6457 61 63 66
53
71
50
7065 66 65 67 68 63 65 72 71
62 6874
58
82 79 79 74
63
66
9 83
10 7 54
18
0
23
39 9 11 9 9 14 12
8 1019 14
7
25
4 6 814
619
0
20
40
60
80
100
LU
SK
CZ IT
MT
EL IE AT SI
EE
DE
LV
UK
BE
EU
27
LT
PT
CY
DK
FR
NL
ES
PL
BG FI
HU SE
RO IS
NO
At least one other EU country Only their own country DK/NA
Number of EU countries where retailers actively market/advertise to final consumers
D5. Besides [COUNTRY], to how many EU countries do you actively market/advertise to final consumers?Base: all retailers, % by country
As expected, cross-border advertising and cross-border sales were linked to each other: more
than a quarter (28%) of retailers selling across borders indicated that they also marketed their
products or services in one, two or three additional countries and almost half of them said
they advertised in at least four other EU countries; the latter figure has gradually increased
from 31% in 2006 and 34% in 2008 to 45% in 2010.
Number of other EU countries where retailers actively market/advertise to final consumers
30
31
37
4
13
12
14
18
16
45
34
31
8
4
3
Fl300 (2010) %EU27
Fl224 (2008) %EU27
Fl186 (2006) %EU25
None 1 2 - 3 4 + DK/NA
D5(2010)/Q2(2008). Besides [COUNTRY], to how many EU countries do you actively market/advertise to final consumers?
Q2(2006). Including [COUNTRY], to how many EU countries do you actively market/advertise to final consumers?
Question not included in Fl278 (2009)Base: retailers that made cross-border sales
The following chart illustrates that cross-border advertising and cross-border sales were not in
all countries linked to each other. For example, while 88% of Czech retailers that were selling
their products or services in other EU countries said they also actively advertised their
products or services to consumers in other EU countries; the corresponding proportion was
just 31% in the Netherlands. In the latter country, 57% of those selling across borders
indicated that they did not advertise their products or services across borders.
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Analytical report Flash EB No 300 Retailers attitudes towards cross-border trade and consumer protection
page 24
88 83 83 81 81 80 80 80 8073 72 71 71
64 64 63 62 59 59 59 58 5444 42 39 35 31 30
63
43
1110 10 11 9 14 11
17 18
1325
1422
2936 35
3031
3931 34 37
47 48 57
3857
64
26
25
1 6 7 7 10 6 94 2
153
146 8
0 18 10
211 8 9 9 10
3
27
126 10
32
0
20
40
60
80
100 C
Z
SK
*P
L
MT
IT
*L
V
*RO
EL
*P
T
EE
IE
ES
*C
Y
LU SI
DE
EU
27
LT
*F
I
AT
*FR
UK
BE
DK
*S
E
*BG
NL
*H
U IS
*NO
At least one other EU country Only their own country DK/NA
Number of EU countries where retailers actively market/advertise to final consumersBase: retailers making cross-border sales
D5. Besides [COUNTRY], to how many EU countries do you actively market/advertise to final consumers?Note: * n
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Flash EB No 300 Retailers attitudes towards cross-border trade and consumer protection Analytical report
page 25
Number of EU countries where companies would make cross-border sales if laws regulating transactions were the same in the EU, 2006-2010
57
58
41
46
3
3
5
5
5
5
16
13
5
7
12
12
20
18
16
18
10
9
10
6
Fl300 (2010) %EU27
Fl278 (2009) %EU27
Fl224 (2008) %EU27
Fl186 (2006) %EU25
None 1 2 - 3 4 - 10 10+ DK/NA
A5(2010)/C7(2009)/Q13(2008)/Q17(2006). If the provisions of the laws regulating transactions with consumers were the same throughout the
27 Member States to how many EU countries would you be interested in making cross-border sales to final consumers?
Base: all retailers
Focusing solely on retailers that made domestic sales only, more than 7 in 10 (72%; up from
62% in 2006) said that they would also not be interested in making cross-border sales if laws
regulating transactions were the same across the EU, while half of retailers that made cross-
border sales (51% vs. 36% in 2006) would be interested in selling their products or services in
more than 10 other Member States.
72
76
51
62
3
2
5
5
5
4
17
11
4
4
10
7
11
8
9
9
7
6
10
6
Fl300 (2010) %EU27
Fl278 (2009) %EU27
Fl224 (2008) %EU27
Fl186 (2006) %EU25
Number of EU countries where companies would make cross-border sales if laws regulating transactions were the same in the EU, 2006-2010
14
14
9
12
3
5
6
6
5
8
16
18
11
16
22
24
51
45
39
36
15
11
8
3
Fl300 (2010) %EU27
Fl278 (2009) %EU27
Fl224 (2008) %EU27
Fl186 (2006) %EU25
A5(2010)/C7(2009)/Q13(2008)/Q17(2006). If the provisions of the laws regulating transactions with consumers were the same throughout the 27 Member States to how many EU countries would you be interested in making
cross-border sales to final consumers?Base: all retailers
Retailers that made cross-border sales
Retailers that do not made cross-border sales
14 3 5 11 51 15Fl300 (2010) %EU27 None 1 2 - 3 4 - 10 10+ DK/NA
Retailers in Finland were not only among the least likely to sell their products across borders
(see previous section), they also most frequently reported not being interested in cross-border
sales even if regulations on cross-border transactions were harmonised (75%). Somewhat lower
proportions of uninterested retailers were found in Portugal (69%), France and Malta (both
67%).
In Greece and Luxembourg, on the other hand, a majority of retailers answered that they would
be interested in making cross-border sales if laws regulating transactions were the same across
the EU (60% and 53%, respectively). It should, however, also be noted that retailers in Greece
were twice as likely as their counterparts in Luxembourg to say that they would like to sell their
products or services in all other Member States (25% vs. 13%).
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Analytical report Flash EB No 300 Retailers attitudes towards cross-border trade and consumer protection
page 26
7569 67 67 63 61 61 60 59 58 58 58 57 56 56 55 54 51 51 51 50 50 48 48 48 42 38
30
74
39
811
82 12 10 10
2115
920
6 11 1319 15
820 15 16
6
22
1018 22
1934
18
5
17
6 76
84 10 8
612
12
7
13 10 6
117
10
88 10
16
12
139
11
7
7
17
5
13
5 7 1215 5
1613 1
69
715 12
5
8
1 116
510 19
8
16 11
14
10
12
25
4
14
7 7 7 916
39 12 8 12 9 8 10
207
21 18 16 2114 10
8 13 155
229 10 13 18
0
20
40
60
80
100
FI
PT
FR
MT
SE
DE
DK
HU
CZ IE PL
ES
EU
27
BE
AT
NL IT EE
RO
LV
UK
SK
CY
BG SI
LT
LU
EL
NO IS
None 1-6 7 -25 26 DK/NA
Number of EU countries where companies would make cross-border sales if laws regulating transactions were the same in the EU
A5. If the provisions of the laws regulating transactions with consumers were the same throughout the 27 Member States to how many EU countries would you be interested in making cross-border sales to final consumers?
Base: all retailers, % by country
More than 7 in 10 (72%) retailers that were not making cross-border sales at the time of the
survey said that they would also not be interested in making cross-border sales if laws
regulating transactions were the same across the EU. In comparison, among retailers selling
across borders, 14% said they would no longer be interested in making cross-border sales in a
more harmonised regulatory environment, while more than a quarter (28%) would be
interested in selling their products or services in all other Member States.
EU harmonised regulations boosting cross-border activity
14
72
3
2
5
5
6
2
28
5
28
7
15
7
Selling to at least one other EUcountry
Selling only to consumers in theirown country
None 1 2 - 3 4 - 6 7 - 25 26 DK/NA
A1. To how many EU countries do you currently make cross-border sales to final consumers?
A5. If the provisions of the laws regulating transactions with consumers were the same throughout the 27 Member States to how many EU countries would you be
interested in making cross-border sales to final consumers?Base: all retailers
The proportion of retailers that would not engage in cross-border sales even if regulations
were harmonised was considerably smaller than the proportion that are currently not selling
across borders (57% vs. 74%). It appears, therefore, that retailers would be somewhat more
open to engaging in cross-border sales if the risks of failing to comply with various national
regulations could be eliminated (i.e. by establishing harmonised EU rules). The survey in
2009 reached a similar conclusion (71% said they did not sell across borders at the time of the
survey and 58% would not engage in cross-border sales even if regulations were harmonised).
-
Flash EB No 300 Retailers attitudes towards cross-border trade and consumer protection Analytical report
page 27
EU harmonised regulations boosting cross-border activity
5
8
6
2
74
4
20
5
5
3
57
10
More than 10 EU countries
4-10 EU countries
2-3 EU countries
1 EU country
Selling only to consumers inown country
DK/NA
Current cross-border sales
Cross-border sales, ifregulation were harmonised
A1. To how many EU countries do you currently make cross-border sales to final consumers?
A5. If the provisions of the laws regulating transactions with consumers were the same througout the 27 Member States to how many EU countries would you be interested in making cross-border sales to final consumers?
Base: all retailers, % EU27
Base: all retailers
23
38
29
11
0
0
51
11
5
3
14
15
More than 10 EU countries
4-10 EU countries
2-3 EU countries
1 EU country
Selling only to consumers inown country
DK/NA
Current cross-border sales
Cross-border sales, ifregulation were harmonised
A1. To how many EU countries do you currently make cross-border sales to final consumers?
A5. If the provisions of the laws regulating transactions with consumers were the same througout the 27 Member States to how many EU countries would you be interested in making cross-border sales to final consumers?
Base: retailers that made cross-border sales, % EU27
EU harmonised regulations boosting cross-border activity
Base: retailers making cross-border sales
0
0
0
0
100
0
11
4
5
3
72
7
More than 10 EU countries
4-10 EU countries
2-3 EU countries
1 EU country
Selling only to consumers inown country
DK/NA
Current cross-border sales
Cross-border sales, ifregulation were harmonised
A1. To how many EU countries do you currently make cross-border sales to final consumers?
A5. If the provisions of the laws regulating transactions with consumers were the same throughout the 27 Member States to how many EU countries
would you be interested in making cross-border sales to final consumers?
EU harmonised regulations boosting cross-border activity
Base: retailers not making cross-border sales
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Analytical report Flash EB No 300 Retailers attitudes towards cross-border trade and consumer protection
page 28
In all countries surveyed, retailers appeared to be more open to sell their products or services in
other EU countries if regulations were harmonised. The difference between actual and potential
engagement in cross-border trade was the largest in Greece and Romania. About two-thirds
(68%) of Greek retailers did not sell across borders at the time of the survey; however, just 30%
said they would not engage in such sales even if regulations were harmonised. The
corresponding proportions in Romania were 88% and 51%, respectively.
In Austria, on the other hand, the proportion of retailers that would not be interested in cross-
border sales in a more harmonised regulatory environment was similar to the proportion not
currently engaged in cross-border sales (56% vs. 61%).
68
88
82
90
73 7
7
73 7
6
74 7
8
69
79
78
68
74 77
74 7
8 80
87
66
80
71
64
63
75
45
61 6
7
81
30
51
48
58
42 4
8
48 5
1
51
58
50
60
59
50
57 6
1
58 6
3 67
75
54
69
61
56
55
67
38
56
39
74
0
20
40
60
80
100
EL
RO
BG
PL
LT
CY SI
EE
LV
ES
SK
HU
CZ
UK
EU
27
DE IE SE
FR FI
IT PT
DK
BE
NL
MT
LU
AT IS
NO
Not trading cross-border No interest in cross-border sales, even if regulations were harmonised
EU harmonised regulations boosting cross-border activity
A1. To how many EU countries do you currently make cross-border sales to final consumers?A5. If the provisions of the laws regulating transactions with consumers were the same throughout the 27 Member
States to how many EU countries would you be interested in making cross-border sales to final consumers?Base: all retailers, % by country
EU harmonised regulations boosting cross-border trade total level of cross-border sales
Roughly 3 in 10 retailers in the EU thought their cross-border sales would increase if laws
regulating transactions with consumers were the same across the EU: 8% said that such sales
would increase a lot and 23% thought they would increase a little. In accordance with the
results discussed in the previous section, the surveys current results were less positive than
those measured in 2008 when 46% of retailers thought their cross-border sales proportion
would increase a lot or a little.
Virtually none of the retailers participating in the survey thought that their cross-border sales
would decrease in a more harmonised regulatory environment. A slim majority (55%) said
that EU harmonised regulations would have no effect on their cross-border sales and 13%
could not say if there would be any effect.
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Flash EB No 300 Retailers attitudes towards cross-border trade and consumer protection Analytical report
page 29
Estimated effect of EU harmonised regulations on cross-border activity, 2006-2010
A10b(2010)/Q12(2008). If the provisions of the laws regulating transactions with consumers were the same throughout the 27 Member States of the EU
do you think that the level of your cross-border sales would ...Q16_A(2006). If the provisions of the laws regulating transactions with
consumers were the same throughout the 25 member states of the EU do you think that ... - the proportion of your cross-border sales would
Base: all retailers, %EU27
8
16
15
23
30
28
1
2
2
0
1
1
55
41
39
13
10
14
Fl300 (2010) %EU27
Fl224 (2008) %EU27
Fl186 (2006) %EU25
Increase a lot Increase a little Decrease a little
Decrease a lot Would not change DK/NA
Half of the retailers that were making cross-border sales at the time of the survey also said
that their sales would increase if laws regulating transactions with consumers were the same
across the EU (12% increase a lot and 38% increase a little). In comparison, among
retailers not selling across borders, a quarter said that their level of cross-border sales would
increase in a more harmonised regulatory environment (7% increase a lot and 18%
increase a little).
Estimated effect of EU harmonised regulations on cross-border activity
12
38
0.20.4
41
8
Increase a lot
Increase a little
Decrease a little
Decrease a lot
Would not change
DK/NA
A10b(2010)/Q12(2008). If the provisions of the laws regulating transactions with consumers were the same throughout the 27 Member States of the EU do you think that the level of your cross-border sales would ...
Base: all retailers, %EU27
7
18
0.80.4
60
14
Retailers conducting cross-border transactions
Retailers selling only to consumers in their own country
In accordance with the results discussed above, even when focusing solely on retailers that
were making cross-border sales at the time of the survey, the surveys current results were
less positive than those observed in previous years. In the current survey, 50% of this group of
retailers thought that their cross-border sales would increase a lot or a little; the
corresponding figure was 57% in 2008 (+7 points compared to 2010) and 53% in 2006 (+3
points compared to 2010).
-
Analytical report Flash EB No 300 Retailers attitudes towards cross-border trade and consumer protection
page 30
Estimated effect of EU harmonised regulations on cross-border activity, 2006-2010
A10b(2010)/Q12(2008). If the provisions of the laws regulating transactions with consumers were the same throughout the 27 Member States of the EU
do you think that the level of your cross-border sales would ...Q16_A(2006). If the provisions of the laws regulating transactions with
consumers were the same throughout the 25 member states of the EU do you think that ... - the proportion of your cross-border sales would
Base: retailers that made cross-border sales, %EU27
12
19
18
38
38
35
0
3
3
0
1
2
41
35
36
8
4
7
Fl300 (2010) %EU27
Fl224 (2008) %EU27
Fl186 (2006) %EU25
Increase a lot Increase a little Decrease a little
Decrease a lot Would not change DK/NA
In accordance with results for the previous question about potential engagement in cross-
border trade, retailers in Greece were the most likely to say that regulatory harmonisation
would have a positive effect on their level of cross-border sales (62%). In Malta, France,
Finland, Portugal, Denmark and Sweden, on the other hand, less than a quarter of respondents
said there would be such a positive effect (17%-24%). In five of these countries, roughly two-
thirds or more of retailers said that EU harmonised regulations would have no effect on
their cross-border sales (between 65% and 77%); in Malta, however, just 39% of retailers
shared this view and 43% were unable or unwilling to say if their cross-border sales
would change.
62
46 46 43 43 41 40 38 37 37 36 35 34 33 32 32 31 30 29 29 28 28 24 23 21 18 17 1723 20
2
2 21 3 1 2 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 2
1 10 1 1 1
00
24
3850
2832
50 48
40 47 4657
42 44 4962
4355 62 64 54
4656 65 67 75 77
71
39
6258
13 143
2822
8 1021
15 165
21 2115
6
2413
7 616
2415
10 84 4
10
43
1421
0
20
40
60
80
100
EL
SK
LU
RO
CY IE SI
BG
ES
PL
AT IT LV
BE
DE
LT
EU
27
CZ
HU
EE
NL
UK
SE
DK
PT FI
FR
MT IS
NO
Increase Decrease Would not change DK/NA
Estimated effect of harmonised regulations on cross-border activity
A10b. If the provisions of the laws regulating transactions with consumers were the same throughout the 27 Member States of the EU do you think that the level of your cross-border sales would ...
Base: all retailers, % by country
In accordance with results for all respondents, when focusing on companies that were making
cross-border sales at the time of the survey, retailers in Greece were the most likely to say that
regulatory harmonisation would have a positive effect on their level of cross-border sales
(70%).
-
Flash EB No 300 Retailers attitudes towards cross-border trade and consumer protection Analytical report
page 31
8270 67 66 66 65 63 61 61 59
53 53 51 50 50 50 48 47 47 45 42 41 41 39 36 36 36 35 36 35
0
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 34 0 1 5 2 3
0 2 0 0 0 1 2 40 0 3 0 0 1
925 29 26 28 34 36 35 37 33
3536 41 36 36
46
3244
40 42 51 5055 52
52 4855 60
5340
9 5 4 7 51 1 3 1 5 8 11 8 9 12
1
207
14 136 8
2 512 16
6 5 1224
0
20
40
60
80
100*R
O
EL
IE
*P
L
SK
CZ
DE
ES
AT
SI
*L
V
*C
Y
EU
27
EE
IT
LU
MT
LT
BE
*BG
*F
I
NL
*H
U
*S
E
UK
*F
R
DK
*P
T IS
*NO
Increase Decrease Would not change DK/NA
Estimated effects of harmonised regulations on cross-border activity
A10b. If the provisions of the laws regulating transactions with consumers were the same throughout the 27 Member States of the EU do you think that the level of your cross-border sales would ...
* Note: n
-
Analytical report Flash EB No 300 Retailers attitudes towards cross-border trade and consumer protection
page 32
3. Information and awareness of legal obligations towards consumers
In this chapter, we look at retailers knowledge of their legal obligations towards consumers
distinguishing between legislation dealing with the economic interests of consumers (in this
report referred to as consumer legislation) and legislation on food and product safety.
In almost all countries included in this study, more than two-thirds of retailers felt they were
at least well informed about their legal obligations towards consumers arising from consumer
legislation in force in their country.
In the last section of this chapter, we analyse retailers knowledge of where to find relevant
information or where to ask for advice on consumer legislation in force in their country or in
other EU countries.
3.1 Perceived level of information about legislation on consumer
protection, food and product safety
More than 8 in 10 (82%) retailers felt they were at least well informed about legal obligations
towards consumers arising from consumer legislation in force in their country: 58% of
respondents felt well informed and 24% said they were fully informed.
A minority of respondents answered that they did not feel informed about this topic: 13% said
they were not well informed about consumer legislation and 3% did not feel informed at all.
These results were practically unchanged compared to those in the previous wave.
Self-perceived level of information about legal obligations towards consumers, 2008-2010
A6(2010)/A1(2009)/Q15(2008). How well informed are you about your legal obligations towards consumers arising from consumer
legislation in your country?Base: all retailers
24
23
19
58
60
58
13
13
17
4
3
5
2
1
1
Fl300 (2010) %EU27
Fl278 (2009) %EU27
Fl224 (2008) %EU27
Fully informed Well informed Not well informed
Not informed at all DK/NA
Across all countries surveyed, more than 6 in 10 retailers felt at least well informed about their
legal obligations towards consumers (ranging from 65% in France to 96% in Slovakia).
Retailers in Malta were the most likely to answer that they were fully informed about consumer
legislation in force in their country (80%). In Austria, Latvia, Spain, Hungary, Cyprus and
Bulgaria, more than a third of retailers gave a similar response (between 35% and 39%).
Retailers in Poland, Belgium, Sweden and France, on the other hand, most frequently said
they did not feel well informed or did not feel informed at all about this topic (between 23%
and 32%).
-
Flash EB No 300 Retailers attitudes towards cross-border trade and consumer protection Analytical report
page 33
25
80
2113
33 39 35 30 34 34 2534 36
27 21 2531
1927
1624 19 19
2613
2415 15 10
16
71
15
7381
58 51 54 60 55 5462
52 5059
64 5953
6557
6658
62 60 51
6351
5950
6964
3 4 5 65 8 9 9 10 10 13 11 11 11 12 11 9
14 1310 13 9 16 16 19 18 15
21
17 13
0 0 0 0 2 2 1 1 1 10 2 3 3 3 4 7
1 34
47
5 5 4 5 8 112 5
0
20
40
60
80
100S
K
MT
EE
PT
CZ
BG
HU
RO
AT
LV
DE
ES
CY FI
IE SI
LU LT
EL
NL
EU
27
UK
DK IT PL
BE
SE
FR IS
NO
Fully informed Well informed Not well informed Not informed at all DK/NA
Self-perceived level of information about legal obligations towards consumers
A6. How well informed are you about your legal obligations towards consumers arising from consumer legislation in your country?Base: all retailers, % by country
Retailers in the EU were as confident when it came to their knowledge of rules and
regulations relating to product safety: 56% of retailers that sell consumer products13
felt
well informed and a further 30% said they were fully informed on this topic (+8 percentage
points compared to 2009). About a tenth (11%) of retailers did not feel well informed, or did
not feel informed at all, about product safety regulations.
Self-perceived level of information about legislation on product safety, 2009-2010
30
56
92 2
Fully informed
Well informed
Not well informed
Not informed at all
DK/NA
A7(2010)/A3(2009). How well are you informed about the legislation on product safety? Base: retailers that sell products, %EU27
22
58
15
3 2
Fl300 (2010) Fl278 (2009)
Focusing solely on retailers that reported selling consumer products, it was noted that 95%-
96% of these retailers in Hungary, Malta and Slovakia felt at least well informed about
product safety legislation; this proportion, however, decreased to 57% in Sweden. Almost 4 in
10 (37%) respondents in Sweden admitted feeling not well inform