E-commerce in Spain has spread to all age groups and socioeconomic levels, consolidating itself as a key pillar of consumption. According to the National Observatory of Technology and Society (ONTSI), in the latest edition of the Online Shopping in Spain 2025 study, the average annual expenditure per online buyer reaches 3,762 euros, 13.8% more than the previous year (3,307 euros), which shows an increasingly intensive use of digital channels to make purchases.
In this sense, large e-commerce platforms such as: El Corte Inglés, Leroy Merlin and Ikea are among the most visited websites in the country and, frequently, constitute the first entry point for consumers, thanks to the breadth of their offer, their competitive prices and the speed of their deliveries.
However, the Spanish market maintains a relative balance: along with these large retail operators, small and medium-sized companies continue to play a relevant role in the consumer’s journey. They attract those seeking closeness, trust and more personalized experiences, contributing to an economy in which business efficiency and humane treatment coexist and reinforce each other in the long term.
In this scenario, Packlink’s recent study, Packlink Barometer, carried out on 800 Spanish consumers in October 2025, reveals: Online consumers in a changing world, aims to identify the main differences between large platforms and small businesses, while helping the latter to better understand their environment to reinforce and activate their competitive advantages.
Delivery times: the strength of large companies
Taking into account global experience, half of Spanish consumers consider that large platforms continue to offer, in general, a better delivery service than small online businesses. When evaluating the delivery experience as a whole, these platforms maintain a noticeable advantage among buyers, especially for their logistical capacity and optimization of deadlines.
The main differentiating factor is found in its logistics experience and the optimization of delivery times. Specifically, 24% of consumers consider that large platforms offer a better delivery experience, confirming the importance given to speed and efficiency in the online purchasing journey.
Almost 43% of consumers consider that SMEs do better than large operators
However, this advantage is relative. 34% of those surveyed consider that, although large platforms are slightly superior in terms of deadlines, they are similar to those of small businesses. This suggests that market standards have largely equalized. The gap between the two remains limited and shows that the speed of delivery, a key criterion for Spanish consumers, continues to make differences, but is no longer an exclusive advantage of the large e-commerce platforms.
Small and medium-sized businesses looking for customization
Small and medium-sized online businesses stand out especially for their ability to offer a more human, close and flexible e-commerce experience. More than 50% of consumers consider that SMEs surpass large platforms in quality of customer service. Furthermore, the personalization of the offer confirms this trend, since almost 43% of consumers consider that SMEs do it better than large operators. These results reflect a clear expectation of closeness and relationships based on trust, which independent businesses seem to satisfy more effectively.
Although logistics remains a disputed field, SMEs manage to differentiate themselves in the world of e-commerce in a key aspect: 38% of consumers rate them better in terms of reliability and tracking of deliveries. This shows that, beyond their relational advantages, SMEs are progressively reducing the distance in criteria that historically dominated large platforms.
“Today, consumers clearly recognize the added value of small and medium-sized online businesses. Customer service, flexibility, personalization: in these key areas of e-commerce, SMEs manage to create a more qualitative and human experience. Furthermore, even in aspects that historically belonged to large platforms, such as reliability and delivery tracking, the gap is gradually narrowing,” says Matthew Trattles, vice president of product at Packlink.
