People aren’t just buying clothes online more often. They’re buying them online differently. The shift is especially visible in Europe. Eurostat reports that 78% of EU residents bought or ordered goods or services online in 2025, up from 62% in 2015. Clothing, shoes, and accessories sit near the top of the list: among EU internet shoppers who’d made a purchase in the previous three months in 2024, 70% bought something from one of those fashion categories.
That kind of volume creates room for marketplace models. Voghion is one example. Based in London, founded in 2021, serving shoppers in the UK, Europe and over 40 countries, connecting customers with suppliers, sellers and authorised brand partners.
Online fashion growth is not just a channel question. It’s a sign of deeper changes in shopper expectations and decision-making. There are five of these shifts that are worth knowing.
- Convenience has become part of the product
This one is straightforward. People want to shop when they want, from where they are.
A physical store requires travel, has set hours, and means moving between racks. An online store lets someone search by size, colour, material, style, or price without standing up. Eurostat notes that convenience, 24-hour availability, greater choice, and easier price comparison are among the advantages pulling shoppers online.
For fashion retailers, the implication goes past checkout. Product pages need clear measurements, photos, descriptions, shipping details, and return conditions. If a shopper has to work to answer a basic question about an item, they leave. Treating the entire digital journey as part of the shopping experience, not just the catalogue, is what separates the stores that convert from the ones that don’t.
- Variety matters more than it used to
Online shopping rewired expectations about choice. A physical store has limited floor space. A marketplace organises products from dozens or hundreds of sellers in one place.
Voghion shows how that model works in practice. Current categories include women’s and men’s clothing, shoes, bags, accessories, watches, jewellery, sportswear, and other lifestyle products. The women’s clothing section alone filters by product type, style, material, sleeve length, pattern, and colour. Listings cover dresses, jumpsuits, tops, outerwear, and coordinated sets. The accessories section runs from crossbody bags and totes to clutches and backpacks.
More products doesn’t automatically mean a better experience, though. Too much choice makes discovery harder. The goal is relevant variety backed by filters, categories, recommendations, and search tools that actually help someone narrow things down instead of scrolling endlessly.
- Shoppers are paying closer attention to value
Price has always mattered. What’s changed is that shoppers now compare value rather than looking at a single price tag in isolation.
That shift was driven by inflation and economic uncertainty. In McKinsey’s State of Fashion 2025, fashion executives predicted that consumers would focus more on value, leading companies to expand price points and improve value-driven categories.
Marketplace models benefit here. Voghion describes itself as a platform connecting customers with suppliers, sellers, manufacturers, and brand partners, with a model intended to support competitive pricing. Current listings include women’s dresses priced below $30 and handbags in the roughly $20-$50 range, though prices and availability change.
But it’s not just about cheaper prices for retailers. It’s making it easier to value. As important as a discount are clear prices, helpful product information, honest quality descriptions and clear delivery and return policies. Shoppers are more inclined to click buy when they feel like they know what they’re getting.
- Mobile discovery is changing how people find clothes
Fashion shopping increasingly starts before the shopper has decided what they want. Someone sees an outfit on their phone, searches for something similar, compares a few versions, and ends up buying something completely different from the item that first caught their eye.
McKinsey has noted that digital touchpoints are playing a bigger role in purchase decisions and that personalisation helps shoppers find products closer to their interests.
Retailers need to look beyond standard category pages. Search suggestions, filters, recommendations and visual merchandising guide shoppers from browsing to buying. Shoppers go away without them.
This behaviour gives an advantage to marketplaces. If you go into one of these shops looking for a dress, you might see handbags, jewellery, shoes or accessories to complete the outfit. One intent is equal to several purchases.
- Trust and returns are becoming competitive factors
Online fashion has one disadvantage that physical shopping doesn’t: you can’t touch the fabric, try the garment on, or check the stitching before you pay.
That makes accurate information non-negotiable. Measurements, fabric descriptions, photos, customer reviews, seller details, and return rules all reduce the uncertainty that stops someone from buying.
Returns are a big piece of this. McKinsey’s State of Fashion 2025 reports that online fashion return rates reach 20-30%, creating real costs for retailers and logistics networks. Better sizing information and clearer product descriptions prevent some of those returns before they happen. Straightforward return policies handle the rest when a return is genuinely needed.
Voghion states that eligible unused items are generally returnable within 30 days of delivery, subject to its return requirements and authorisation process. It also distinguishes between defective or incorrect products and other returns when determining who covers return shipping. That kind of clarity is what builds repeat purchases.
A quick comparison of new online fashion expectations
| Shopper priority | Traditional shopping challenge | What online retailers need to provide |
|---|---|---|
| Convenience | Travel and fixed store hours | 24/7 browsing and simple checkout |
| Variety | Limited physical shelf space | Strong categories, filters, and search |
| Value | Difficult to compare immediately | Transparent prices and product details |
| Discovery | Limited to store displays | Recommendations and digital merchandising |
| Confidence | Try-before-buying is possible | Reviews, measurements, photos, and clear returns |
What retailers should take from the shift
Shoppers want convenience, meaningful choice, competitive value, easy discovery, and enough information to feel confident hitting purchase. That’s the baseline now, not a differentiator.
Voghion shows how those expectations come together in a marketplace setting. Current offerings include women’s dresses, casual clothing, handbags, sneakers, men’s clothing, accessories, and coordinated outfits. The model works because it combines range with structure.
The bigger lesson for retailers is that price alone doesn’t win anymore. Accurate information, useful search, sensible product organisation, transparent policies, and reliable service are what make online fashion feel less like a gamble. Consumers across Europe aren’t just comparing one store against another. They’re comparing entire experiences: how fast they find something, how easily they judge its value, and how confident they feel when they commit.