Fashion e-commerce in Europe - statistics & facts
Home to iconic fashion capitals like Paris, Milan, and London, Europe is an undeniable leader in the world of fashion, style, and luxury. This reputation continues to live on in today’s digital world. Whether consumers are browsing the latest trends, searching for the perfect vintage accessories, or simply on the hunt for basics to fit into their wardrobes, fashion e-commerce has become an important way to make purchases throughout the continent.
With so many online stores to choose from, consumers must mindfully consider what is most important to them when buying apparel online. Still, these companies find competition among more than just themselves. Both second-hand online shopping through European-owned platforms like Vinted, Depop, and Vestiaire Collective, as well as marketplaces that sell fast-fashion such as Shein, Temu, and Amazon, tend to offer either cheaper or more sustainable alternatives.
However, in spite of the variety when it comes to retailers, what remains certain is that fashion e-commerce in Europe will remain an especially lucrative market for the savviest of brands for years to come.
A glance at the leading markets
A diverse collection of countries, e-commerce within the European fashion landscape is unsurprisingly just as varied. The United Kingdom, which boasts one of the largest economies globally, sits in the number one spot when it comes to online fashion sales in Europe. The country generated a total of 40 billion U.S. dollars in revenue in 2024, whereas the second and third largest fashion e-commerce markets in Europe, Germany and Italy, reached about half – approximately 20 billion respectively – in the same time period. France, as historically notable for its relevance in the global fashion industry as Italy, also saw over 16 billion U.S. dollars in fashion e-commerce revenue that year, while the Netherlands and Spain followed in the ranking.Homegrown giants: the biggest European players
The growth of fashion e-commerce in Europe aligns directly with the overarching success of huge players in their respective markets. Since 2010, Berlin-based Zalando began extending its operations outside of Germany and today serves 25 countries throughout Europe to rake in billions of euros in revenue each year. In the UK, ASOS and Next are commonly known e-commerce pure players that rank on the list of the country’s most known fashion e-commerce brands. France’s Decathlon and Italy’s Yoox, are also popular among European consumers.With so many online stores to choose from, consumers must mindfully consider what is most important to them when buying apparel online. Still, these companies find competition among more than just themselves. Both second-hand online shopping through European-owned platforms like Vinted, Depop, and Vestiaire Collective, as well as marketplaces that sell fast-fashion such as Shein, Temu, and Amazon, tend to offer either cheaper or more sustainable alternatives.
However, in spite of the variety when it comes to retailers, what remains certain is that fashion e-commerce in Europe will remain an especially lucrative market for the savviest of brands for years to come.
