Lobby groups Retail Excellence Ireland (REI) and Ecommerce Europe have partnered up to launch a new trust mark for Irish e-commerce businesses.

Lynn Drumgoole, communications director with REI, said that the Irish Ecommerce Trustmark is designed to reassure consumers shopping online that the website they are purchasing from complies with all consumer law, data protection and privacy obligations.

She added: “Irish online retailers are beginning to focus more on the markets outside of Ireland, and with 65% of European consumers saying that a trust mark is important, it is imperative that our retailers ensure they can address this need.”

REI said that a retailer who signs up will be awarded the Ecommerce Europe Trustmark and will be mandated to deliver on more robust obligations to the consumer.

Through REI, the retailer will have access to information to keep their website up to date on legislation and benchmarking for best practice, as well as an international complaints handling processes.

In Association with

“Trustmark awardees will be subject to audits throughout the year to ensure ongoing compliance” Drumgoole said. “The net benefit for online retailers looking to trade in Europe will be a direct reduction in barriers to entry for cross-border trade.

“Websites displaying a national trust mark in Europe have reported a 26% increase in conversion rates on like-for-like testing.”

The Ecommerce Europe Trustmark is widely available to companies involved in online and cross-border selling of products and/or services. Since its launch in 2015, it has been rolled out in 11 countries in the EU, with plans to extend it further this year.

A registration fee of €300 is charged by REI for the Irish Ecommerce Trustmark.

Photo: Victor Timon of Maples and Calder, launching the Irish Ecommerce Trustmark