ACEPI - Digital Economy Association, the Portuguese national association of Ecommerce Europe, hosted the last Ecommerce Europe Round Table in Lisbon on 22 October. The evening brought together leading retailers selling products and/or services online to consumers and other business stakeholders, such as payments providers. The Round Table was a great opportunity to exchange knowledge and experiences, and to learn more about the challenges and opportunities of the e-commerce sector in Portugal and in the rest of Europe.

Exclusive: facts & figures on Portugal presented by Ecommerce Europe

The Round Table was the occasion for Ms. Stefanie Ros - policy advisor of Ecommerce Europe - to present exclusively key facts and figures on the Portuguese e-commerce market, in perspective of the global and European e-commerce markets. According to Ecommerce Europe’s research report, the total e-commerce turnover of goods and services accounted for €2.9bn in Portugal in 2014. This puts Portugal in fifth position in the ranking of Southern European countries for B2C e-commerce after the Spain, Italy, Turkey, and Greece. Ms. Ros explained that "The forecasted growth of 13.3% for 2015 will bring Portugal in a better position in Europe overall, with a forecasted turnover of e-commerce goods & services of €3.2bn". However, Stefanie Ros stressed that: "There are still a lot of opportunities to be seized, with an average per e-shopper which is lower than in the rest of Southern Europe, and over half of the Portuguese population active on internet but only a quarter active as online consumers".

Portugal Digital Economy Challenges and Opportunities presented by ACEPI

Alexandre Nilo Fonseca, Chairman of the Digital Economy Association in Portugal - ACEPI, in response presented the challenges and opportunities of the e-commerce sector in Portugal and explained that: "The internet penetration in Portugal is relatively high, with 70%. There are plenty of growth opportunities ahead, as we expect this number to grow towards 85% in 2020. The digital economy in Portugal should seize these opportunities to become even stronger". Mr. Nilo Fonseca explained that the Portuguese sector like other national markets face fierce competition from countries outside of the EU. However, the good digital infrastructure in Portugal makes the country unique. Participants at the table confirmed this proposition, and underlined that consumer trust in the e-commerce sector is crucial in this, especially when it comes to cross-border purchases. The upcoming collaboration between Ecommerce Europe and ACEPI in providing the European Trustmark to Portuguese e-commerce companies is a good step in the right direction for this. ACEPI plans to offer the Ecommerce Europe Trustmark in Q1 2016 to their certified members for free.