Strategy needed to stop €21bn in online shopping going abroad

Online shopping — estimated to hit €21bn a year by 2017 — could result in “immense” loss to the economy if a national strategy is not put in place to stop most of the money going abroad.

Irish people spend around €4bn online every year, 75% of which goes to foreign outlets, including Britain, according to a report by the Government-initiated Digital Hub Development Agency.

Chairman Leonard Donnelly said a big challenge for coming years would be to get consumers to favour domestic online companies.