Microsoft tells us: "In 2012, online platforms - such as ecommerce and video-sharing sites, search engines, social networks and cloud computing providers - contributed more than €430 billion to the European economy, up from €310bn in 2009."

Forrester predicts that increasing ease among Canadians to buy cross-border will lead to US-based e-shops pushing local e-shops out. "About 68 per cent of the online shoppers surveyed said they have shopped at a web store based outside Canada. Of those, 72 per cent said it was because they couldn't find what they were looking for from a Canadian e-tailer, and 59 per cent said cheaper prices contributed to their decision to buy abroad."

Design site Fab.com aggressively expands its EU e-Commerce by rolling out in France and expanding its activities in other markets. WSJ: "According to CEO Jason Goldberg, the company is on track to do nearly $100 million in sales this year. “Not bad, since we only launched in Europe at the end of last year,” he said."

Zalando offers e-Commerce in fourteen European countries. In Spain their Internet traffic is booming. An analyst writes: "Free delivery, free returns, 30-day returns guarantee and a free helpline. It´s the first time that I´ve visited an e-commerce which is selling in Spain with all this so confident and attractive claims calling to buy. ...  I think this marketing strategy is which the Spanish market was needing for to stimulate the e-commerce sales in a similar ratio to other European countries. Zalando is a clear, confident and direct “buy here my friend” online retailing without conditions and brakes to the purchase."