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E-commerce in Spain Reaches €114.8 Billion as Online Shopping Surges

Spain’s e-commerce market has recorded significant growth over the past decade, with turnover reaching €114.8 billion in 2025, according to data from Spain’s National Markets and Competition Commission (CNMC).

The figure represents a 5.7-fold increase compared with 2015, when Spanish e-commerce turnover stood at approximately €20 billion. Overall, the market has grown by 473.7% over the decade, reflecting the rapid shift in consumer behavior toward digital commerce.

E-commerce Becomes Part of Everyday Consumption

The expansion of Spain’s e-commerce market is also reflected in the number of online transactions. Annual transactions increased from around 300 million in 2015 to more than 2 billion in 2025.

The growth suggests that online shopping is no longer limited to occasional purchases. Consumers are increasingly using digital channels for everyday products and services, including food, groceries and digital services.

At the same time, the average transaction value has declined from approximately €67 in 2015 to around €56 in 2025. This points to a broader adoption of e-commerce for smaller and more frequent purchases.

Tourism remains one of the largest contributors to online sales, while fashion and online grocery shopping have also gained importance.

Mobile and Social Commerce Continue to Gain Ground

Mobile devices have become central to Spain’s online shopping ecosystem. According to data cited by the National Observatory of Technology and Society (ONTSI), more than 83% of online shoppers use smartphones for purchases.

Social media is also becoming increasingly important throughout the customer journey, from product discovery to purchase. This trend is contributing to the continued convergence of social media, digital marketing and e-commerce.

The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the adoption of online shopping, but the long-term expansion of Spain’s e-commerce market extends beyond the pandemic. Following the disruption of 2020, the sector experienced strong growth from 2022 onward.

Cross-Border E-commerce Remains Significant

Despite the growth of domestic e-commerce, cross-border transactions continue to account for a substantial share of Spain’s digital commerce activity.

CNMC data for the fourth quarter of 2025 showed that 57.8% of e-commerce turnover was generated by purchases originating in Spain but made through businesses located abroad. Transactions from Spain to foreign markets generated €18.164 billion during the quarter, up 14.8% year-on-year.

The European Union remained the main destination, accounting for 94.6% of purchases from Spain directed abroad.

The figures highlight both the opportunities and competitive pressures facing Spanish businesses as consumers increasingly have access to international online retailers and marketplaces.

Opportunities for Spanish Businesses

The continued expansion of e-commerce is creating new opportunities for businesses of all sizes. According to ONTSI, nearly 29.4 million people in Spain purchased products or services online in 2024, while B2C e-commerce turnover exceeded €110 billion.

For small and medium-sized enterprises, digital commerce provides an opportunity to reach customers beyond their immediate geographic markets. Businesses can combine local presence with digital channels to expand their customer base and compete in an increasingly connected market.

Looking ahead, artificial intelligence, advanced logistics, social commerce and personalized digital experiences are expected to play an increasingly important role in the development of Spain’s e-commerce ecosystem.

With turnover already exceeding €114 billion, Spain’s digital commerce market is entering a more mature phase—one in which businesses will increasingly compete not only on price and product selection, but also on technology, customer experience, logistics and international reach.

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UAE and Syria Open a New Economic Chapter With First Positive Business Forum Since Assad’s Fall

The United Arab Emirates and Syria have taken a significant step toward rebuilding economic relations with the launch of their first bilateral business forum since the fall of former Syrian president Bashar Al Assad. Held in Damascus, the forum brought together government representatives, investors, and business leaders from both countries, highlighting a renewed regional push toward economic recovery, investment, and long-term cooperation.

The event reflects a broader transformation taking place across the Middle East, where regional powers are increasingly prioritizing economic diplomacy and reconstruction opportunities in post-conflict markets. For Syria, the forum represents more than a symbolic diplomatic development, it signals an effort to reposition the country as an emerging investment destination after years of political isolation and economic instability.

Economic Cooperation Between the UAE and Syria Gains New Momentum

Delegations from the UAE explored opportunities across several sectors considered critical for Syria’s recovery, including infrastructure, logistics, construction, tourism, technology, healthcare, energy, and real estate. Syrian officials emphasized the importance of attracting foreign direct investment to help rebuild damaged industries and modernize the country’s economic foundations.

The UAE’s growing interest in Syria aligns with its broader regional strategy of expanding economic influence through trade, infrastructure, and strategic investment partnerships. Emirati companies are already reported to be assessing major projects in cities such as Damascus and Latakia, particularly in urban development and hospitality. Analysts believe Gulf-backed investments could play an important role in accelerating Syria’s reconstruction process over the coming years.

The forum also arrives at a time when regional supply chains and trade routes are undergoing significant shifts. Syria’s geographic position has historically made it a strategic gateway connecting the Gulf, the Levant, and Europe. Renewed commercial activity between the UAE and Syria could eventually strengthen logistics corridors, cross-border trade, and regional connectivity initiatives.

Beyond economics, the meeting demonstrates how business cooperation is increasingly becoming a tool for political normalization in the region. Following leadership changes in Syria in late 2024, several Middle Eastern countries have gradually reopened channels of communication with Damascus, focusing on stability, economic integration, and regional development.

For Syrian businesses, the forum provides an opportunity to reconnect with Gulf investors and re-enter regional markets after years of limited international engagement. For UAE companies, Syria offers long-term potential in sectors that require modernization, digital transformation, and infrastructure redevelopment.

While challenges including sanctions, financing conditions, and political uncertainties remain, the forum signals cautious optimism for a new phase of regional cooperation. As Gulf economies continue seeking new investment frontiers, Syria’s reconstruction could become one of the Middle East’s most closely watched economic stories in the years ahead.

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Business Faces 5 Rising Cybersecurity Threats as AI Traffic Surges

The rapid rise of artificial intelligence is fundamentally reshaping the internet and with it, the global cybersecurity landscape. According to the latest industry findings, AI-driven traffic is growing at an unprecedented pace, forcing business leaders to rethink how they manage digital trust and security.

In 2025, automated traffic expanded significantly, growing nearly eight times faster than human-generated traffic, signaling a major shift in how online activity is created and managed. At the same time, AI-driven traffic surged by 187% over the year, nearly tripling in volume and becoming the fastest-growing segment of internet activity.

How AI Traffic Is Transforming Business and Security

One of the most notable developments is the rise of AI agents-systems that no longer just browse the web but actively interact with it. These agents are now capable of performing complex tasks such as product discovery and even completing transactions, marking a new phase in digital commerce.

This shift is particularly important for business ecosystems, as AI-driven traffic is heavily concentrated in high-value industries. More than 95% of this activity is focused on sectors such as e-commerce, streaming and travel, where real-time data and frequent transactions create strong incentives for automation.

However, this rapid growth is also introducing new cybersecurity risks. The report highlights a sharp increase in malicious activity, including scraping attacks and account takeover attempts. In fact, scraping-related traffic alone is approaching 20% of total global traffic, nearly doubling compared to previous years.

At the same time, post-login account compromise attempts have surged dramatically, with hundreds of thousands of incidents detected per organization on average. These trends suggest that as AI becomes more capable, the line between legitimate automation and cyber threats is becoming increasingly difficult to distinguish-creating new challenges for business operations.

The Growing Challenge for Business in the AI Era

For business leaders, the implications are significant. As AI-driven automation becomes more common, organizations must adapt to a new reality where not all traffic is human-and not all automated activity is harmful.

This creates a critical challenge: identifying which AI interactions are beneficial, such as customer-facing automation, and which represent potential fraud or cyber threats. Traditional security approaches focused on blocking bots are no longer sufficient. Instead, companies are being pushed toward building “trust layers” that can differentiate between good and malicious automation.

Looking ahead, the continued growth of AI traffic is expected to further transform how businesses operate online – from customer engagement and marketing to fraud prevention and platform security. As AI systems become more autonomous, cybersecurity strategies will need to evolve just as quickly.

Ultimately, the rise of AI-driven traffic marks a turning point for the digital economy. For global business leaders, balancing innovation with security will be essential to navigating this new era of intelligent, automated internet activity.

Source: HUMAN Security