Key considerations
for selling into Spain
Offer a selection of payment methods
Have a simple returns policy
Spanish consumers expect a simple returns process and if they
don’t feel confident in a sellers returns policy, they aren’t likely to
complete the purchase. For this reason, make sure you are offering
straight-forward guidance. When selling on a marketplace, it’s also important that you are
complying with their own requirements for returns, for example having a local
returns address.
If you’re not entirely sure on your options for handling
international returns, we would recommend that you read our guest article from Ezi Returns. You can also watch
our international returns webinar that we co-hosted with XSellco, for further
advice on this topic.
Understand delivery expectations
While the option for free shipping is of course preferred by
consumers in Spain and will make your listings more competitive, it isn’t
mandatory to offer it. What’s also interesting is that the vast majority of
Spanish shoppers expect their purchases to be delivered within 3-5 days, which
as an international seller may work in your favour.
Do keep in mind, however, that by using an international
fulfilment service such as Pan-European FBA, you can offer next-day delivery to
Spanish customers.
Local language customer service
There is a common expectation amongst Spanish consumers, for
customer service to be provided in their local language. In fact, when selling
on some Spanish marketplaces, this will be a requirement.
In reality, it’s not always possible to hire a dedicated
customer support representative who can speak Spanish (and whatever other
countries you sell into). Fortunately, with the help of a customer support
helpdesk that integrates with online marketplaces, such as XSellco
Fusion, you can automatically translate incoming and outgoing
messages, into the language of both the seller and customer.
Provide detailed product information
If you are selling through a website, you should also think
about enabling customer feedback. On most marketplaces, this will automatically
be enabled and you should strive to improve your overall customer rating.
The most
popular online marketplaces in Spain
While Spain does indeed operate several of its own online
marketplaces, many of them do appear to be more focused on Spanish merchants,
as opposed to international retailers.
That said, there are still some that do actively support
cross-border trade and that are worth considering as part of your Spanish
export strategy. It’s also worth keeping in mind that almost 57% of Spanish
online transactions are in fact being made through international eCommerce
sites, with several of these online marketplaces being amongst the most popular
sites in Spain.
Below, we have compiled a list of online marketplaces that you
should be considering in order to reach the Spanish market.
Privalia
Privalia is a great site to consider selling on if you are a
fashion retailer looking to reach the Spanish market. In fact, the company has
the largest market share not only in Spain, but also in Germany, Italy, Brazil
and Mexico, with around 24 million registered members.
It is worth keeping in mind, however, that the site is more of a
deals site than a traditional marketplace, as it focuses on offering flash
sales, with up to 70% off retail prices. It also runs 3-5 day long brand
campaigns, where registered members are invited to access the sales, usually
via email. Ultimately, it could be a great option for your slow-moving
product lines.
In order to sell through the site, retailers are expected to
offer a minimum of 40% discount on products. In addition to this, you will be
required to provide a digital catalogue in Spanish and Italian and have a local
address for returns.
Carrefour
Carrefour is the first marketplace to provide sellers with the
opportunity to sell through their multiple channels, i.e. online and in-store.
With a specific focus on the company’s online presence, they offer a wide range
of products, from fashion to consumer electronics, right through to sports
& leisure equipment.
They also offer a competitive pricing model, with sellers
incurring no registration fee or monthly fees. In addition to this, you will
also have the ability to terminate the contract at any time and can also
receive up to a 2% bonus if you reach a certain turnover level. You will also
be assigned an account manager to advise you on the sales process.
More information about selling on Carrefour.es can be accessed here.
Spartoo
While Spartoo isn’t a Spanish marketplace, it is one of the most
popular eCommerce sites in Spain for shoes and clothing. For this reason, it is
one you should be considering if you’re looking to reach not only Spanish
customers, but also customers across other European markets.
What’s also great about Spartoo is that it offers customer
service in 12 different languages and operates a marketplace drop-ship model,
enabling them to easily sell into all 30 European countries where it has a
presence.
To sell on the marketplace, there is a standard £35 monthly fee,
and you can expect to pay between 15% and 20% commission on each sale.
Zalando
Despite being a German company, Zalando is another marketplace
that is incredibly popular amongst Spanish consumers. Like Spartoo, Zalando is
the ideal fit for sellers of fashion apparel who are also looking to reach a
broader European market.
The brand is incredibly well known across most of Europe and as
such, any potential sellers will be subject to selection criteria in order to
sell on the marketplace. Once you have been deemed eligible, you will benefit
from their extensive customer base and competitive fees.
Amazon.es
eBay.es
Similar to Amazon, eBay also offer a range of cross-border trade
programmes, giving sellers the opportunity to sell to Spanish customers.
While you can read more about eBay’s international programmes and
opportunities here, they do offer both basic and advanced
international selling options that are worth considering, as well as their
popular Global Shipping Programme (GSP).
eCommerce Services
There has been a significant
recent growth in the number of companies and depth of their eCommerce-related
services offered in Spain related to logistics, shipping warehousing and fullfillment.
The U.S. Commercial Service can assist in identifying a reliable partner.
eCommerce Intellectual Property Rights
Spanish patent, copyright,
and trademark laws approximate or exceed European Union levels of intellectual
property protection. Spain is a party to the Paris Convention, Bern Convention,
the Madrid Accord on Trademarks and the Universal Copyright Conventions. Please
refer to the “Protection of Property Rights” section in the Country Commercial
Guide for Spain, as it contains detailed information on Protecting your
Intellectual Property in Spain.
Popular eCommerce Sites
Online Payment
Mobile eCommerce
Digital Marketing
Major Buying Holidays
- Epiphany/Day of Three
Kings (January 6)
- Valentine’s Day
(February 14)
- Father’s Day (March
19)
- Mother’s Day (May 7)
- Black Friday / Cyber
Monday (November 24-27, 2017) While Thanksgiving is not a holiday in
Spain, there is increased adoption in the market as a pre-Christmas sales
driver.
Ecommerce events in
Spain
Every year there are
several ecommerce events being organized in Spain. We have a handy ecommerce events calendar, where you can find all the major
online retail events in Europe. But you can also check out only the ecommerce events in Spain.
Ecommerce customers in
Spain
There are about 23.6
million ecommerce users in Spain, with an additional 5.6 million
users to be shopping online by 2021. Credit cards
amount for more than half of all online transactions, followed by cash (32%),
electronic bank transfer (20%) and eWallet (14%). The most important payment
option in Spain seems to be 4B, which has 20 million cards circulating amongst
the Spanish population. The credit and debit cards of Euro6000 are also widely
used.
Based on information
from Observatorio Cetelem Ecommerce 2016,
the most popular payment methods in Spain are debit card (used by 61 percent),
PayPal (51%) and credit card (23%).
Online payment methods in Spain, according to Payvision.
According to data from
IAB Spain, 44% of Spanish Internet users between 16 and 55 years old
recurrently buy online. Last year their purchases could mostly be divided into
the next product categories: fashion (65%), travel tickets (59%), consumer
electronics (55%), tickets (54%) and books & CDs (46%). Data from the
National Observatory for Telecommunications shows that about 18.6 million Spaniards bought
something online in 2014.
Based on data from
from Instituo Nacional de Estadictica, about 22% of the Spanish population
bought something in the last three months prior to a survey in 2012. About 10.7
million Spanish people (31% of the population aged 16 to 74 years old) ordered
something online in the last year.
The ecommerce market in
Spain
Spain had to deal with
a big financial crisis, but that was barely visible in the ecommerce sector. In
fact, the ecommerce industry was one of the few sectors that experienced a
double digit-growth in 2011 and 2012. The total ecommerce turnover accounted 11
billion euros in 2011, which was 22% more than the year
before. Nonetheless, ecommerce sales only accounted for 1.2% of Spains
gross domestic product that year. Ecommerce in Spain was worth 16.26 billion euros in
2014, data from the National Observatory for Telecommunication shows.
A lot of Spanish
shoppers order their stuff on foreign websites. Last year it was for the first
time in history the total amount of purchases made on foreign online shops were
lower than the ones on local sites. In terms of percentages ecommerce isn’t
that big in Spain. It accounts for only 3% of total retail sales. More
information about the ecommerce market in Spain can be found on EcommerceWiki.
Spain is a land of unique culture and products. It is also one
of the top tourist destinations in the world. There are numerous e-commerce
sites specializing in offering all types of products for Spanish people. Many
multinational companies also have their online stores set up as well.
This is a list of the top Spain shopping sites according to
their popularity.
1 Amazon Spain 758
2 eBay Spain 1064
The Spanish division of the American e-commerce store eBay
primarily features products belonging to fashion, home, automotive, and travel
categories. Products are available for purchase in both auction and buy-it-now
formats, while the store provides verification of the seller and safety for the
buyers.
3 Let’s Bonus 2788
This site is primarily concerned with offering daily deals and
group buying offers on various products. It also provides special deals on
group buying, while the deals can be sorted on the basis of various cities like
Barcelona, Valencia, and Madrid. Travel, technology, and shows are some of the
categories.
4 El Corte Inglés 2903
This online store specializes in providing products from various
categories like electronics, appliances, cars, motorcycles, sports, travel
tickets, and insurance. There are also several tips on aspects like improving
the look of the holiday table. Daily offers are present in several categories.
5 Groupon Spain 5491
This is the Spanish version of Groupon that specializes in
offering deals in aspects like shopping, travel, and dining out. The deals are
especially greater when it comes to group buying, while the deals can be sorted
according to the major cities in Spain.
6 FNAC Spain 5654
This is a site offering products in a plethora of categories
like electronics, books, and musical instruments. Experts provide a
recommendation on various products depending upon the aspects like profile,
budget, and categories. There are also exclusive shops of major brands like
Apple and Samsung.
7 PC Componentes 5847
This online store specializes in providing computers and its
accessories. Aside from the computers, there are also smart phones, tablet PCs
and consumables present as well. Peripherals like printers and scanners are
offered along with daily deals.
8 Casadellibro 6101
This is an online bookstore that offers both physical and
digital versions of books on various topics like economy, novels, literature,
history, and youth. The site also provides access to the tagus tablet that is
primarily an e-book reader.
9 Ciao 6242
This is a site specializing in comparing the prices of a product
on several online stores, while also providing customer reviews as well.
Products are present in several categories like electronics, movies, and
appliances. The most popular products in every category are listed in a
separate section.
10 Groupalia 4064
Aside from providing discounts on various products like leisure
and travel, this site also offers city specific discount deals. There are also
national deals for those unable to see their city. The site claims to provide
discounts of up to 90% on certain products.
11 Vente-Privee Spain 828
This is a site specializing in offering private sales. The site
has an extensive collection of clothing, fashion, decor, and electronic
products from major brands around the world. Users can access the products only
after registration.
12 Pixmania Spain 1157
This site specializes in providing various electronic gadgets
and appliances aside from fashion accessories like jeweler and watches. The top
products in every category are listed, while there is a tool that helps find
gifts for adult or kids.
13 BuyVIP 3969
Acquired by Amazon.com in
2010, the site was started in 2006 and it provides access to products of
popular brands at discounted prices. Fashion, electronics, and accessories are
the major products sold on this site, which offers free shipping of the
products to any destination in Europe.
14 Carrefour 7120
The online store of this French retailer offers several
categories like electronics, sports, computing, travel, and mobile phones.
Details about the supermarket and hypermarkets of this retailer along with the
future store openings are also provided.
15 Media Markt 7733
MediaMarkt is a German consumer electronics chain store with
their presence in Europe and Asia including Spain. The online store in Spain
offers various consumer electronics products including TV, Laptops, Phones,
Navigation Accessories, Music and much more. The group is considered as largest
electronics retailer in Europe.
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