Online commerce, still a pending subject for Lanzarote merchants

Commerce in Lanzarote continues to focus on traditional sales methods and attracting customers derived from tourism and the local population, a strategy that leaves aside electronic commerce, which, without a doubt, subtracts significant possibilities for the growth of the sector on this Canary Island.

According to recent data from the INE, almost a third of the Spanish population makes or has made purchases through the Internet, a figure to which must be added the fact that the total turnover of the online sales sector for this year is expected to amount to about 12,000 million euros, a growth of just over 13% compared to the previous year. With figures like these, it is strange to find sectors that do not decide to focus on this new business avenue, a path that, apart from economic gains, offers a whole series of very interesting advantages for both sellers and potential customers.

This new reality of the commercial world seems to have gone unnoticed in Lanzarote, where commerce through the Internet still does not have the necessary impetus to develop all its potential. Thus, the merchants of the island, despite having mostly access to the web and also having a good infrastructure that would facilitate online business, are reluctant to benefit from aspects such as access to a potentially global customer market, the reliability of the new electronic payment methods or the visibility guaranteed by a correct positioning in the online sales market.

This whole series of advantages and possibilities have been taken advantage of and exploited by companies of different nationalities, both Spanish and foreign, which have seen the volume of their business grow in recent years at an excellent rate. An example of this, perhaps the best of all, is that of the Zalando platform, a store that only dedicates itself to business through the Internet and where, in addition to selling shoes and clothing, you can find accessories for all tastes from the best firms in the market. An example like that of this German company should motivate any entrepreneur in the sector to direct their efforts towards online sales, since with an experience of only 6 years, Zalando has become, by earnings and business volume, one of the giants of fashion worldwide.

Thus, whether due to factors such as stagnation or lack of knowledge about the possibilities and potential benefits, the electronic commerce sector on the island of Lanzarote remains stagnant. Despite this, the future prospects predict rapid growth based on the reputation that the islands have abroad and on the quality of the product that traditional commerce offers, a favorable situation for the number of merchants and companies that develop their business on the Canary Island and that, before long, should be interested in the promising horizon of virtual business that is presented to them.