For the seventh time, the Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW), for the first time together with the University of Applied Sciences North-western Switzerland (FHNW), conducted the annual online retailer survey. The comprehensive study each provides important insights into the trends and challenges in e-commerce and is therefore considered mandatory reading for interested online merchants.

Those who wish to study the online retailer survey 2024 in detail can download it here.

This year, 624 online shops from Switzerland, Austria and other countries were surveyed on various topics – for example, what payment methods they offer, which distribution channels they operate, or which payment provider they rely on. In the latter question, Payrexx performed very well and with 18 percent of the mentions, remains one of the most popular Payment Service Providers among Swiss SMEs and online merchants.

Asian marketplaces increase the pressure

Arguably the most important part of the survey is the so-called “E-commerce Worry Barometer”, in which the traders talk about their biggest challenges. As already in 2023, the current market situation is again the main concern this year: The competition is constantly growing and the price pressure continues to increase.

Das Sorgenbarometer der diesjährigen Onlinehändlerbefragung zeigt: Die aktuelle Marktsituation, darunter die steigende Konkurrenz, macht den Schweizer Onlinehändler:innen besonders zu schaffen.

A significant event was the abolition of industrial tariffs on 1 January 2024: Previously, certain imported goods were subject to duties to protect domestic producers from foreign competition. However, now Asian platforms like Temu or Shein can import their goods into Switzerland without additional costs – and thus offer them even more cheaply.

So how can you as a merchant assert yourself against the increasing competition from Asia? The online retailer survey 2025 also provides important inputs and strategies on this topic, which we summarise below for you.

1. Promise quality – and deliver!

The product looked great in the pictures, but shortly after arriving home, disappointment follows: The goods are poorly made, smaller than promised or look completely different from the pictures. You can use exactly these negative experiences to your advantage. 78 percent of the surveyed merchants also try to differentiate themselves through the quality of the products. This should be communicated accordingly in the product description.

The following points speak for the quality of your goods or service:

2. Be reachable, by email, phone, or live chat

A major drawback of the Asian giant markets is their impersonal touch. Customers are quickly handled, receive AI-generated mass emails, and often struggle with support for hours. At the same time, more and more people are seeking a positive shopping experience. 62 percent of the surveyed online merchants stated they differentiate themselves through excellent customer service.

This is how you can improve customer service:

Die Onlinehändlerbefragung 2024 zählt eine Vielzahl an möglichen USPs (Unique Selling Propositions) auf, durch welche sich Schweizer KMU abheben können.

3. Deliver quickly and accept returns

A significant disadvantage of Asian competition is their geographical distance: Those who order from Temu and others often have to wait weeks for their products. You, on the other hand, can benefit from short transport and distribution routes. 44 percent of all participants in the online retailer survey 2024 stated they assert themselves against foreign platforms through fast delivery. With 39 percent of the mentions, a generous returns policy also seems to be important.

To differentiate yourself in these areas, the following steps may help:

4. Offer a wide range of payment methods

The ordering process with Temu and others is associated with some hurdles. On the one hand, buyers have to provide a variety of data – including address and phone number – and on the other hand, the selection of payment methods is severely limited. Besides credit and debit cards, there is only the choice of TWINT, PayPal, Google Pay or Klarna for purchase on account.

All these are also included in your Payrexx account, as well as much more. In this way, you optimize the payment process for your customers together with Payrexx:

Together with Payrexx, you can make your customers' payment process as quick and simple as possible. In such a way that they prefer to shop in your online store in the future, rather than at one of the Asian big retailers.