Online spending in Romania reached 11.7 billion euros last year with 7.7 billion euros spent on products. This was an increase of 10 percent. Growth remains strong and is expected to continue this year.
These data were published by Gala Premiilor eCommerce (GPeC), a Romanian organizer of ecommerce events. The organisation also hands out ecommerce awards. At an ecommerce summit in Bucharest, organized with local marketplace eMAG, data about ecommerce in Romania were published.
Annual growth rate over 10%
Online product spending stood at 6.3 billion euros in 2022, 7.0 billion euros in 2023, and 7.7 billion euros last year, reflecting an annual growth rate of over 10 percent. Online spending on services is rising even more sharply. According to GPeC, Romanians now spend 11 percent of their budget online. “From this perspective, there is still room for growth”, said Andrei Radu, founder and director of GPeC.
Investments
The market is expected to grow by double-digit percentages again this year, reports business newspaper Ziarul Financiar from the conference. eMAG Group anticipates 10 percent growth, driven in part by recent investments and improvements in the market. Delivery capacity has been enhanced, including in rural areas, and Romanian shoppers now have more payment options, which they have eagerly adopted. The market leader plans to make new investments, hire additional staff, and focus on AI, according to CEO Tudor Manea:
‘We must not forget how many advantages the adoption of artificial intelligence brings’
eMAG’s main goal is to outpace market growth, a feat it achieved last year. The company recorded a 14 percent growth in its home market. It also posted double-digit growth in its other key markets: Bulgaria and Hungary.
Trendyol
Trendyol, a major ecommerce player from Turkey, also has big plans for the Romanian ecommerce market. The company has recently opened a regional logistics center near Bucharest. This new hub aims to serve all of Southeastern Europe and will employ 250 people once fully operational later this year. According to the company, the logistics center is expected to handle at least 2.5 million deliveries per year.
