A total 73 per cent of Maltese internet users shop online, a survey by the Malta Communications Authority has found.

The authority said the survey focused on internet access and usage, e-commerce usage, concerns when purchasing online and the perceptions and reluctance of certain demographic groups to purchase online.

As at September last year, 69 per cent of the population had access to internet but only 59 per cent made use of the medium.

However, the discrepancy between internet access and usage has gone down by 20 per cent since 2006.

The internet is predominantly used to send and receive emails (89 per cent), research information (77 per cent), buy online (73 per cent), browse products and/or services (72 per cent) and to carry out internet banking (54 per cent).

Despite Malta ranking as the best performing country in the EU along with Portugal in terms of sophistication and fully online availability of e-government services, only 35 per cent of internet users use such services.

Out of those who do not use the internet, 65 per cent claim to not need to use the internet or that they are not interested.

The other respondents who do not use the internet claimed they did not know how to use a PC and/or internet.

“The MCA will be facilitating the on-going roll-out of Community Technology Learning Centres in a number of localities, which offer free basic courses on the use of ICT with a view to driving this figure down” authority chairman Philip Micallef said.

The number of internet users who shop online has increased by 19 per cent since 2007, bringing the percentage of the population who did so up to 43 per cent.

The frequency and spend of online shopping was also on the increase, with 69 per cent of internet users making online purchases in the six months preceding the survey, 71 per cent made up to five purchases over that period. 41 per cent spent between €25 and €120 whilst 13 per cent spent in excess of €600 over a six month period.

The most common goods being purchased online were IT and electronic goods and clothing items (44 per cent each), closely followed by books and DVDs (39 per cent and 20 per cent respectively)

Only seven per cent of online purchases carried out in the preceding six months were from Maltese sites, with the most common purchases from local sites being flights and electronics (38 per cent and 23 per cent, respectively).

The most common method of payment has shifted from credit cards to other forms of online payment facilities with 62 per cent of purchases in the preceding six months being carried out using such facilities.

Only 22 per cent of those who made online purchases in the preceding six months encountered problems, out of which 83 per cent were satisfactorily solved. 88 per cent of the problems related to delays in delivery, 31 per cent non-delivery of items and only one per cent experienced stolen card details.

When asked whom to contact if the person was subject to a scam or fraud, 34 per cent replied that they did not know, indicating a need for further awareness on this front. On the other hand, 33 per cent would contact the bank, 17 per cent PayPal and 10 per cent the police.

The survey also revealed that a number of online purchases are made on behalf of others.

The survey also included questions to gauge people’s perceptions about purchasing online. Pricing emerged as a key driver of on-line sales with 59 per cent of the population agree that prices on the internet are cheaper than in shops, 48 per cent believe that purchasing online is more convenient that buying from shops but 45 per cent agree that online buying is more risky than traditional shopping.

58 per cent perceive buying online to be easy but 28 per cent believe that returning items is a complicated process.

The whole survey can been seen at:

www.mca.org.mt