ELECTRONIC COMMERCE IN EUROPE MAY BENEFIT AMERICANS.

• Position: Industry Trend or Event

A study published at the end of February by the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) warns that the anticipated development of on-line commerce in Europe risks benefiting large American retailers, more aggressive and with greater experience than their European competitors. On-line sales on the old continent were worth Euro 3.5 billion in 1999 a figure expected to rise to 9 billion this year and 45 billion by 2002, a thirteen-fold increase over just three years, according to the management advisor's survey of 546 European distributors. However, while e-commerce is growing more rapidly in Europe (+200% in 1999) than in the United States (+145%), sales account for only 0.2% of total retail trade in Europe, compared with 1.2% in the United States.The report reveals that American traders have already conquered 20% of the European market by extending their strategies to cover Europe. This...