E-commerce creates €13.1 billion in added value and 250,000 jobs in Austria

Online retail significantly strengthens domestic SMEs in the digital and sustainable transformation

E-commerce makes a significant contribution to Austria's economic performance - this is confirmed by a recent EcoAustria study commissioned by Amazon. In 2023, companies in Austria generated sales of 57.9 billion euros via digital sales channels. This means that the share of e-commerce in the total turnover of Austrian companies has risen continuously in recent years - from around 5.3% in 2022 to 7.3% today. This puts Austria just above the EU-27 average for the first time, which can be seen as an indication of a gradual catch-up movement towards more digitalized market segments. At the same time, a comparison with countries such as Ireland, Sweden, Cyprus and Belgium shows that there is still significant potential for further opening up and digitalization.

Specifically, the direct contribution of e-commerce to Austrian value creation in 2023 amounted to 4.3 billion euros, while the indirect contribution was a further 8.8 billion euros - resulting in a total economic value creation of 13.1 billion euros. E-commerce is also a relevant factor in terms of employment: around 250,000 jobs are now linked to e-commerce activities in upstream areas such as logistics, IT, marketing and payment services.

Table: Value added and employment associated with e-commerce (2023)

Small and medium-sized enterprises in particular are at the heart of this development, as study director Dr. Wolfgang Schwarzbauer from EcoAustria explains: "Our study results show that online retail is a key lever for the twin transition - in other words, for the simultaneous digital and ecological transformation of the economy. For small and medium-sized enterprises in particular, this opens up new opportunities to strengthen their competitiveness and tap into new markets."

E-commerce also has potential in the area of sustainability: Austrian SMEs lead the EU in terms of climate targets and sustainable offerings. For example, 53% of Austrian SMEs have already formulated a strategy to reduce their_{carbon footprint} or are already climate-neutral, in contrast to the EU average of 24%. Furthermore, 44 percent of Austrian SMEs sell ecological products and services, in contrast to the EU average of 32 percent. E-commerce can have a supporting effect here - for example by reducing energy consumption via digital sales channels, through logistical efficiency and through better marketing opportunities for ecological products.

"However, in order for Austria to catch up with leading countries such as Ireland or Sweden, it needs targeted political support - especially when it comes to access to digital technologies, financing and expertise," concludes study author Schwarzbauer.

Photos of the study presentation on the economic significance of e-commerce (Image credit: Sebastian Philipp)