Ecommerce spend predicted to soar to $430bn by 2003

IDC has predicted that ecommerce expenditure in western Europe will reach $430bn by 2003, the largest chunk of which will be business-to-business sales.

In four years' time, 60 per cent of the world's online consumers will reside outside of the US, and non US-based ecommerce will explode to 46 per cent of total web purchasing worldwide, compared with 26 per cent in 1998.

In western Europe, the business-to-business market will be worth $367bn, while the business-to-consumer sector will spend $63bn. Expenditure in the Asia Pacific region, including Japan, will surge to $72bn.

But Anna Giraldo, ecommerce analyst at IDC, said cultural differences within Europe would present a significant challenge, particularly to US companies that wanted to create .uk and .de sites.

"Companies need a realistic awareness of being in Europe - they have to understand the diversity. The US offers a uniform market. There may be some cultural differences, but the buying pattern is consistent," she explained.

Suppliers will also need to adjust their sites for those parts of Europe that may not be advanced in using the internet, she added.