One reason for the major differences between the countries in Europe has been called the "Amazon effect" by the market researchers. The American online giant has been active in Germany and Great Britain since 1998, longer than in the rest of Europe. They see France as a special case, were Amazon's market entry happened only a short time later. They explain that the customers here are generally more conservative in their purchasing behaviour, and in addition the DIY market leader Leroy Merlin specifically focusses on service and accessibility. However Leroy Merlin is expanding its online channel, and in addition the French marketplace ManoMano is very successful according to USP.
Overall, the online share does not only vary from country to country, but also depending on the product. The product group paint achieved an almost 4 per cent share of online sales, while around 20 per cent of power tools are already sold through the Internet.