23-07-2025
3 in 10 consumers in the Iberian Peninsula buy second-hand products online, a trend that is becoming increasingly evident at a time when e-buyers are increasingly concerned about sustainability.
This is one of the main conclusions of the first edition of the CTT e-Commerce Flash Survey, carried out based on surveys of consumers aged between 18 and 60 in Portugal and Spain, via social media.
In Portugal, around 50% of e-buyers are involved in buying/selling second-hand products: they either only buy (12%), only sell (15%), or buy and sell (23%).
The study reveals that consumers are increasingly shopping online and value convenience and control over their orders above all else, placing particular importance on the reliability of the delivery service, which is a determining factor in their purchasing decision. Ease of return and the option of home delivery are also important when choosing to buy online.
Among the main trends identified, the evolution of returns as a natural part of the purchasing process stands out. In Portugal, 41% of consumers say they have returned a product online in the last year, while in Spain this figure rises to 57%.
Regarding the importance of sustainability, consumers are beginning to value the environmental impact of their purchases, prioritizing sustainable options, as long as they don't involve additional costs. Thus, although the refusal to pay more for sustainable options remains the majority—with 45% in Portugal and 34% in Spain refusing to accept extra costs—46% of Portuguese and 53% of Spanish consumers would accept longer delivery times if it helped reduce environmental impact.
In the final stages of the purchasing process, convenience stores and lockers continue to gain popularity among online shoppers. In Portugal, although home delivery is still the most popular option (56%), alternative solutions tend to gain more importance (13% preferring convenience stores and 12% preferring lockers ).
Spain maintains a majority preference for home delivery. 65% of consumers continue to choose to have their orders delivered to their home, although this option has also lost relevance compared to previous years (in 2020, it reached 79%).
Alternatives outside the home, such as convenience stores (15%) and lockers (4%), already represent 19% of the total, which represents a growth of 16 percentage points in the last six years.
The availability of longer opening hours is mentioned by 43% of respondents as the main reason for preferring convenience points , followed by factors such as lower cost (31%), proximity (27%) and convenience (27%).
Portuguese people buy more fashion and technology
According to the results of this survey carried out on social media, 72% of Portuguese people buy fashion products online and 52% buy technology products, spending an average of 70 euros per month and making around one purchase per month (67%).
73% buy regardless of weekday or weekend and the most preferred payment method, regardless of the methods provided by retailers and most used, is clearly MB Way (49%).
The main reason for buying online, cited by over 85% of e-buyers, is greater convenience and convenience compared to shopping in physical stores. And when asked about the main reasons for abandoning a shopping cart, delivery-related factors such as shipping costs (70%) and delivery times (39%) come out on top.
Therefore, the logistics component of both delivery and returns emerges as highly relevant to the online shopping experience. 68% of e-buyers report that a positive past experience with a shipping company positively influences their purchase from a given online store. In this same context, problem-free delivery, meeting deadlines and schedules, is clearly the factor most valued by e-buyers (70%).
The CTT e-Commerce Flash Survey was first launched in Portugal on social media, with the aim of understanding and evaluating the habits, behaviors and trends of online shopping consumers.
Source: CTT Portugal Post
In Portugal, around 50% of e-buyers are involved in buying/selling second-hand products: they either only buy (12%), only sell (15%), or buy and sell (23%).
The study reveals that consumers are increasingly shopping online and value convenience and control over their orders above all else, placing particular importance on the reliability of the delivery service, which is a determining factor in their purchasing decision. Ease of return and the option of home delivery are also important when choosing to buy online.
Among the main trends identified, the evolution of returns as a natural part of the purchasing process stands out. In Portugal, 41% of consumers say they have returned a product online in the last year, while in Spain this figure rises to 57%.
Regarding the importance of sustainability, consumers are beginning to value the environmental impact of their purchases, prioritizing sustainable options, as long as they don't involve additional costs. Thus, although the refusal to pay more for sustainable options remains the majority—with 45% in Portugal and 34% in Spain refusing to accept extra costs—46% of Portuguese and 53% of Spanish consumers would accept longer delivery times if it helped reduce environmental impact.
In the final stages of the purchasing process, convenience stores and lockers continue to gain popularity among online shoppers. In Portugal, although home delivery is still the most popular option (56%), alternative solutions tend to gain more importance (13% preferring convenience stores and 12% preferring lockers ).
Spain maintains a majority preference for home delivery. 65% of consumers continue to choose to have their orders delivered to their home, although this option has also lost relevance compared to previous years (in 2020, it reached 79%).
Alternatives outside the home, such as convenience stores (15%) and lockers (4%), already represent 19% of the total, which represents a growth of 16 percentage points in the last six years.
The availability of longer opening hours is mentioned by 43% of respondents as the main reason for preferring convenience points , followed by factors such as lower cost (31%), proximity (27%) and convenience (27%).
Portuguese people buy more fashion and technology
According to the results of this survey carried out on social media, 72% of Portuguese people buy fashion products online and 52% buy technology products, spending an average of 70 euros per month and making around one purchase per month (67%).
73% buy regardless of weekday or weekend and the most preferred payment method, regardless of the methods provided by retailers and most used, is clearly MB Way (49%).
The main reason for buying online, cited by over 85% of e-buyers, is greater convenience and convenience compared to shopping in physical stores. And when asked about the main reasons for abandoning a shopping cart, delivery-related factors such as shipping costs (70%) and delivery times (39%) come out on top.
Therefore, the logistics component of both delivery and returns emerges as highly relevant to the online shopping experience. 68% of e-buyers report that a positive past experience with a shipping company positively influences their purchase from a given online store. In this same context, problem-free delivery, meeting deadlines and schedules, is clearly the factor most valued by e-buyers (70%).
The CTT e-Commerce Flash Survey was first launched in Portugal on social media, with the aim of understanding and evaluating the habits, behaviors and trends of online shopping consumers.
Source: CTT Portugal Post