Half of the Greek youth (aged 15-29) are online. This is the one of the main findings of a recent report based on the profile of the new generation provided by the Department of Communication and Mass Media of the University of Athens. Taking into consideration that the current internet penetration of the general population reaches a bit more than 20%, this is promising news for the .gr community, which has to be taken into consideration for future investments on the local internet market.
But what really are the characteristics of the Greek internet user? This is a question replied by the 2004 survey* conducted by VPRC on behalf of the Greek Government. According to the data provided, the main reasons** Greeks use the internet are e-mail (21.5%), information seeking for products and services (17.7%), information for news, weather etc (11.7), gaming (11.5%), music (9.7%), education (7.8%), information for Public Services (3.2%), online shopping (2.3%) and rest (14.6%).
From those people that use the internet, 81,3% declare that have not proceeded into any kind of buy through the web, while 18.7% have done so. Specifically, 81% of those who have made a purchase repeated the action within 2004. Greeks usually buy books (21.1%), PC hardware/software (17.2%), travel tickets (8.3%), CDs (8.2%), apparel (7.6%), services (5.8%), auto parts (5.7%), DVDs (5.6%), hotel booking services (3.8%).
The reasons behind their decision to buy online rest mainly on the convenience provided by the web (28.2%), Unavailability of specific products in the Greek market (28.1%), competitive pricing (26%) and variety of offered goods (10.1%). The average yearly amount spent per user reaches 1.114 euro and the charges are mainly billed through credit cards (58%).
Crossing to the other side, those that do not shop online project their own arguments: No trust on the billing system (34.5%), no need to do so (31.2%), cannot see/touch the product (20.1%) and no trust on shipping services (7.2%).
While this is the profile of the internet user/shopper, according to another survey provided by Eurostat, 87% of Greek SME (Small and Medium Size Enterprises) and 100% of large businesses take advantage of the internet.
Concluding, the Greek Government has undertaken a number of initiatives to educate and facilitate users while at the same time assisting companies both financially and by providing the infrastructure with the aim to promote and increase the usage on internet.
(* Full survey is provided in Greek only, here)
(** Survey respondents were able to choose one single reply for each category of questions)
Nikos Kapsomenakis
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Hey Nikos my name is Sakis and I have a work to do and that is to bring forward information about the greek internet world and how it works in greece. I will ask you some questions and I hope you have the time to answer it will mean much to me. I am student from Sweden and my parents is from Greece so I am Greek.
How big is the internet population in greece?
What do the use internet to?
do the buy things from the internet?
Does the trust do to buy things from the internet?
Do you have price comparison sites in Greece?
Which is the five biggest e-commerce sites?
The ten biggest review sites?
What does people buy from the internet, if the buy something?
In what age to the use internet at most?