EU E-commerce Conversion Benchmarks 2026: What the Data Shows

The question every e-commerce owner asks: “Is my conversion rate normal?”

The answer depends entirely on what you sell, where you sell it, and how you measure it. A 1.2% conversion rate is catastrophic for a fast-fashion brand and reasonable for a €500+ average order value furniture store.

This article compiles 2025–2026 conversion benchmarks for European e-commerce — by industry vertical, by device, by payment method, and by checkout type. All sources are cited. All data is from 2024–2026.

Use these benchmarks to know where you actually stand. Then read what typically separates the top quartile from the average.

How to Read These Benchmarks

Conversion rate = orders / sessions × 100

Most analytics tools calculate this at the store level. Some report sessions, some report users. The numbers shift depending on methodology. When comparing your store to benchmarks, verify that you’re measuring the same way.

These benchmarks use session-based conversion rates unless otherwise noted, which is standard for e-commerce analytics.

“Average” here means the 50th percentile — half of stores in that category perform above, half below. “Top quartile” means the 75th percentile.

Overall EU E-commerce Conversion Rate

EU average: 1.6–2.4% (2024–2025 data) Top quartile: 3.5–5%

Source: Statista European E-commerce Report 2024, Wolfgang Digital E-commerce KPI Report 2024

EU conversion rates run consistently lower than US rates (US average: 2.5–3.5%). The reasons:

EU checkout flows are more complex (multiple payment methods, VAT handling, GDPR consent)
EU consumer purchase cycles are longer — more research before purchase, especially for non-repeat buys
Multi-language stores see fragmented traffic and lower-converting non-native sessions
Mobile payment penetration is lower in some EU markets compared to US (Apple Pay, Google Pay adoption varies significantly)

The gap between EU and US narrows significantly when you look at stores that have invested in EU-specific UX optimization — particularly payment method prioritization and checkout localization.

Conversion Benchmarks by Industry (EU)

Fashion and Apparel

Average: 1.5–2.5% Top quartile: 3.5–5% Abandonment rate: 76% (Baymard 2024)

Fashion has high traffic and high abandonment. The category has the highest return rates in e-commerce (20–30% of orders), which affects net conversion after returns.

What separates top-quartile fashion stores:

Size guides with actual measurements (not just S/M/L)
In-context lifestyle imagery alongside clean white-background product photos
Clear, low-friction returns process visible on product pages
Lookbook or style pairing content that increases AOV alongside conversion

Dutch fashion benchmark (2024): 1.8–2.8% session-based conversion (Thuiswinkel.org Jaarrapport 2024)

Electronics and Technology

Average: 1.4–2.0% Top quartile: 2.5–4% Abandonment rate: 74%

Electronics has lower-frequency, higher-consideration purchases. Users research extensively before buying. Conversion rates appear lower partly because of this longer decision cycle — the same customer may visit 5–8 times before purchasing.

What separates top-quartile electronics stores:

Technical specifications presented clearly, not buried in a tab
Comparison functionality between similar products
Reviews that answer technical questions (filter by “most helpful”)
Extended warranty or purchase protection options at checkout
Explicit compatibility information (“Works with [specific models]“)

Furniture and Home Décor

Average: 0.8–1.5% Top quartile: 2–3% Abandonment rate: 81% (highest category tracked by Baymard)

Furniture is the hardest category to convert online. High price points, inability to physically inspect, complex delivery logistics, and long purchase cycles all depress conversion.

What separates top-quartile furniture stores:

AR visualization or in-room photo tools (IKEA’s AR app benchmark)
Extremely detailed dimension information, including delivery dimensions
Delivery timeline specificity: “Delivered between March 3–7, you’ll get a 2-hour delivery window by SMS”
White-glove delivery options for high-value items
Real return process clarity — what happens if it doesn’t fit?

Health, Beauty, and Personal Care

Average: 2.0–3.5% Top quartile: 4–7% Abandonment rate: 68%

Health and beauty outperforms most categories. Lower average order values, repeat purchase behavior, and strong brand loyalty drive higher conversion. Subscription models in this category significantly lift LTV even if they don’t affect single-session conversion rates.

What separates top-quartile health/beauty stores:

Ingredient transparency (INCI listings, certifications displayed prominently)
“Find your shade” or quiz-based product recommendation tools
Before/after imagery that meets EU advertising standards (no deceptive efficacy claims)
Subscription with clear cancellation terms (Dutch/German consumers are wary of auto-renewal traps)
Loyalty program that incentivizes repeat purchase without requiring large minimum orders

Note for EU stores: EU cosmetics regulations (Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009) restrict product claims. Overstating efficacy is both a legal risk and a trust risk. Top-performing EU health/beauty stores earn trust through ingredient transparency, not claim inflation.

Food and Beverage

Average: 1.5–2.5% Top quartile: 3–5% Abandonment rate: 70%

Food e-commerce is heavily split between impulse categories (snacks, specialty items) and subscription-oriented categories (meal kits, coffee subscriptions). The benchmarks above reflect general food e-commerce, not subscription models, which typically convert from trial differently.

What separates top-quartile food stores:

Delivery date + time slot selection during checkout (critical for perishables)
Clear messaging about freshness, temperature handling, and delivery logistics
Dietary filter functionality (vegan, gluten-free, allergen-free) that actually works
Bundle or starter kit options that reduce decision complexity
Strong imagery — food photography quality has outsized impact on conversion in this category

Conversion Benchmarks by Device (EU)

Device	Average CVR	Top Quartile
Desktop	2.5–3.5%	5–7%
Mobile	1.2–1.8%	2.5–4%
Tablet	2.0–3.0%	4–6%

Source: Wolfgang Digital E-commerce KPI Report 2024, Google EU Mobile Commerce Data 2024

The mobile gap: EU mobile conversion rates run 1.0–1.8 percentage points below desktop. This gap is larger in the EU than in the US (where mobile and desktop are approaching parity for some categories). Reasons specific to EU:

Mobile payment method friction: iDEAL, Bancontact, and SEPA require bank app redirects that increase mobile abandonment
Mobile form UX is worse on average for EU stores (address format complexity, VAT fields, GDPR consent modals)
EU consumers skew slightly older than US for high-value e-commerce purchases — an older demographic uses desktop at higher rates

Top-quartile EU mobile stores share these traits:

Payment methods that work natively on mobile (Apple Pay, Google Pay alongside iDEAL)
Single-page or minimal-step checkout on mobile
Address autocomplete that handles EU address formats
Sticky add-to-cart bar on mobile product pages

Conversion by Payment Method (Netherlands)

Payment Method	Completion rate after selection
iDEAL	85–92%
Credit card	78–85%
PayPal	80–88%
Klarna (Pay Later)	88–93%
Apple Pay	91–96%

Source: Mollie Payment Conversion Benchmark Report 2024, Adyen Global Payments Report 2024

What this data shows:

Payment method completion rates (the % who finish after selecting a payment method) vary significantly. iDEAL performs well because Dutch consumers are comfortable with it — the friction comes before they select it (is it visible, is it prominent?). Apple Pay and Google Pay complete at highest rates because the friction is nearly zero.

The conversion killer isn’t payment failure. It’s not offering the right payment methods in the first place, or burying them.

Practical implication: If iDEAL isn’t in your checkout’s top visible payment options for Dutch visitors, you’re losing 15–25% of potential Dutch orders before they even try to pay.

Guest vs Account Checkout Conversion

Checkout type	Average CVR
Guest checkout	2.4–3.8%
Forced account creation	1.2–1.8%
Account optional (guest default)	2.8–4.2%

Source: Baymard Institute Checkout UX Benchmark 2024

This is one of the clearest findings in checkout research. Forcing account creation before purchase reduces conversion by 30–50% compared to guest checkout.

The optimal pattern: guest checkout as the default, with account creation offered after order confirmation. Post-purchase account creation converts at 40–60% of buyers (they’re already committed, it takes 10 seconds).

Checkout Abandonment Rates by Step (EU Average)

Checkout step	Abandonment at this step
Cart page	35–45%
Contact/shipping info	15–20%
Payment selection	10–15%
Order review	5–8%
Post-payment	1–2%

Source: Baymard Institute Cart Abandonment Rate 2024

The biggest drop-off is at the cart page — before formal checkout even starts. This is driven primarily by shipping cost discovery and session-end abandonment (user didn’t intend to buy now, just building a cart).

The second-largest drop is at shipping info. Common causes: address field friction, account creation friction, unexpected shipping costs revealed at this step.

Stores that display shipping costs before checkout entry see 12–18% lower abandonment at the shipping info step. The information is the same. The friction of discovery is eliminated.

What Separates Top Quartile from Average

Across every category and device, top-quartile EU e-commerce stores share these traits:

Checkout:

3 steps or fewer
Guest checkout default
Payment methods ordered by local preference (iDEAL first for Dutch, Bancontact first for Belgian)
Shipping cost visible before checkout entry

Product pages:

Reviews visible above fold or near add-to-cart
Clear size/specification guidance
Return policy accessible without leaving the page
Multiple images from multiple angles

Mobile:

Page load under 3 seconds on 4G
Single-column layout throughout checkout
Payment methods with low-friction mobile flows (Apple Pay, Google Pay prioritized on mobile)
No interstitials during checkout

Trust:

Thuiswinkel Waarborg or Trusted Shops certification visible
Clear contact option during checkout
Specific delivery date shown before order confirmation

Benchmark Your Store

Knowing where your store stands relative to these benchmarks is the first step. The second step is identifying exactly which friction points are keeping your conversion rate below your category average.

BTNG offers a free 30-minute conversion rate audit preview — we look at your analytics together, identify where you’re losing customers, and give you a prioritized fix list.

Book your free audit preview →

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