43,26% of Spanish SMEs that export do so wholesale (B2B)
The pan-European survey “Export Opportunity Report” commissioned by Alibaba.com reveals that Spanish SMEs are taking advantage of the opportunities offered by international markets to grow and overcome domestic economic difficulties.
The survey, which was presented today at a conference organized by Alibaba.com with Madrid Chamber of Commerce, reveals that more than 76% of the SMEs surveyed in Spain stated that they carried out export activities and almost 52% of those that export, declared that they expected their exports to grow in the next twelve months.
On the other hand, for 23% of the Spanish SMEs surveyed, the turnover from exports in 2022 was around 65%. Among the conclusions derived from this study is that exporting is, more than ever, a key area for business economic growth.
“Digital platforms such as Alibaba.com, a leading marketplace in the B2B sector that operates in 190 countries, allow SMEs to overcome many of the barriers they encounter when exporting wholesale globally. This represents a great competitive advantage that makes it possible for SMEs to take advantage of the fantastic business prospects of B2B e-commerce for the coming years,” he explains. Arianna Iseppi, business development manager Alibaba.com for Spain.
As to B2B e-commerce, the percentage of Spanish SMEs that export wholesale amounts to 43,26%, above the average of companies that are dedicated to this activity in our country, which is 36,94%.
Likewise, Almost 16% of SMEs that export in Spain do so to both the B2B and B2C sectors.
“Digital platforms like Alibaba.com, a leading B2B marketplace operating in 190 countries, allow SMEs to overcome many of the barriers they encounter when exporting wholesale globally,” explains Arianna Iseppi, Head of Business Development for Alibaba.com in Spain
La digitization and online marketplaces are serving as catalysts for Spanish B2B SMEs to internationalize, especially after the pandemic. In this sense, around 22% of SMEs that export in our country use a marketplace, a percentage, in any case, lower than the average of SMEs in the nine European countries surveyed, which exceeds 50%.
However, this trend seems to be changing, since around 40% of the surveyed Spanish SMEs that export are considering joining a marketplace to boost its international sales in 2023.
Miguel Bufalá highlighted the role that marketplaces such as Alibaba.com play in the globalization of commerce and that “they have allowed SMEs from all over the world to connect and carry out commercial transactions and whose impact on international trade and the online economy is significant.”
Regarding the three geographical areas to which the Spanish SMEs surveyed export the most, the European countries that are not members of the EU accounts for 24,9%, Africa accounts for 22,34% and Asian countries, except China, contribute 21,4%.
The results of this survey show that Spanish SMEs are increasingly focused on exporting as a means of growth and expansion. Digitalization and online marketplaces are playing a fundamental role in this process, since they make it easier for SMEs to access international markets.
Miguel Bufalá, international coordinator of the Madrid Chamber, highlighted the role that marketplaces such as Alibaba.com play in the globalization of commerce and that “they have allowed small and large companies from all over the world to connect and carry out commercial transactions and whose impact on international trade and the online economy is significant". Furthermore, he pointed out that “companies that sell their products on these platforms obtain a 38% higher return on investment.”
Likewise, during the event practical and necessary aspects to operate on digital platforms such as management and VAT refund in the EU (in charge of the Madrid Chamber of Commerce), logistics (in charge of DHL Express) and industrial and intellectual property (in charge of Baylos).
The day also included the testimony of Osmofilter as a practical case.
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