European consumers spent €55.1 billion on physical goods from online retailers outside the European Union in 2025, highlighting the accelerating shift toward cross-border eCommerce.
According to the latest figures, €49.7 billion — roughly nine out of every ten euros spent outside the EU — went to three major platforms: Temu, Shein and AliExpress.
International online shopping represented 13.1% of total online spending on physical goods by consumers across EU countries, underlining the growing importance of global marketplaces in the European retail landscape.
Three platforms dominate cross-border spending
The concentration of spending among Temu, Shein and AliExpress demonstrates how effectively large international marketplaces are connecting European consumers with sellers outside the region.
Their success is being driven by a combination of competitive pricing, extensive product selection, increasingly sophisticated logistics and highly optimized digital shopping experiences.
For European retailers and brands, however, the numbers also highlight a significant challenge: consumer demand is increasingly global, while many local businesses remain focused primarily on domestic markets.
Cross-border commerce creates a major opportunity
The €55.1 billion figure is not simply an indicator of money leaving the European market. It represents billions of euros in consumer demand that international sellers are successfully capturing.
European businesses looking to compete in this environment need to think beyond individual domestic markets and develop strategies for selling across multiple marketplaces, countries and consumer segments.
This includes marketplace onboarding, localized product listings, inventory synchronization, order management, shipping and analytics — all while maintaining operational efficiency as the number of sales channels increases.
DMSMatrix: Helping businesses sell across borders
DMSMatrix helps businesses expand their eCommerce operations across international marketplaces through a connected platform covering marketplace listings, seller onboarding, account management, inventory, shipping and analytics.
With consumers already demonstrating a strong appetite for cross-border shopping, the opportunity for sellers is clear: global demand is there — businesses need the infrastructure and marketplace strategy to capture it.
“Cross-border eCommerce is no longer a niche segment of online retail,” said DMSMatrix. “The €55.1 billion spent outside the EU shows that consumers are already comfortable buying internationally. The next challenge is enabling more businesses to participate effectively in that global marketplace.”
A changing European eCommerce landscape
The dominance of Temu, Shein and AliExpress also signals the competitive pressure facing European retailers and marketplaces.
As international platforms continue expanding their reach, European sellers have an opportunity to respond by making their products available to customers across borders and diversifying their marketplace presence.
The direction of consumer behavior is increasingly clear: online shoppers are not limiting themselves to domestic retailers. They are going wherever the products, prices and experience meet their expectations.
For sellers, competing in this environment will increasingly require a global-first eCommerce strategy.
About DMSMatrix
DMSMatrix is a global eCommerce enablement platform helping sellers expand across international marketplaces. Its services cover seller onboarding, marketplace account management, product listings, inventory, shipping and analytics, helping businesses simplify the complexities of cross-border commerce and reach customers around the world.
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DMSMatrix
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