MediaTel

In an increasingly digitised world, TGI Net Europa reveals differences in internet use and online purchasing across four major European markets - Britain, France, Germany and Spain.

Latest TGI Net Europa data shows that internet use remains highest in Britain where approaching 80% of adults went online at some point in the past year, compared to 70% in France and around 55% in Germany and Spain. The online community in Britain has the highest median age at 41 compared to 40 in France and Germany and 35 in Spain.

The relative popularity of online activities reflects both market maturity as well as cultural difference. British internet users are 70% more likely than the four-country average to make charitable donations online, for example. In contrast their counterparts in France are twice as likely to play the lottery online while those in Spain are 140% more likely to download films or film trailers (perhaps due to their younger age profile). Meanwhile German internet users are 70% more likely to have sold something at an online auction.

These preferences are reflected in the types of site visited. Half of German internet users visited an online auction site in the past month and almost 40% of Spanish users visited film sites - compared to a quarter in Britain and France. Around half of French internet users visited a gaming site. Britain contributed 45% of those who visited websites relating to the environment.

There are clear differences when it comes to user-generated activity. Social networking is most popular in Britain and Spain where approaching half the internet audience uses sites such as Facebook and MySpace. Meanwhile online dating and reunion sites are most popular in France. More than 10% of French internet users visited an online dating site in the past month compared to only 4% in Britain.

Across the four TGI Europa countries, just over 70% of internet users have sourced information about a product or service online in the past six months - rising slightly in Spain and falling in Britain due to the different composition of the audience. Germany has the highest rate of conversion from research to purchasing with over 80% of internet users making a purchase online in the past six months. Britain and France follow at 72-73% while in Spain the figure falls to 60%.

German internet users are more likely than their counterparts in Britain, France or Spain to have bought a range of products online in the past six months including CDs, DVDs, books, electronic equipment and furniture. Seven per cent of German internet users also bought groceries online - the same figure as in Britain - and 10% purchased holidays. French adults are 80% more likely to have bought non-airline travel tickets online, perhaps due to the popularity of rail travel.