Do you have a successful online store in Slovakia? You can continue growing your business by expanding abroad. This move won’t just bring you hundreds of new customers—it will also increase your revenue and offer numerous development opportunities. With well-chosen steps, you can build cross-border brand recognition and highlight your store’s strengths. We’ve prepared three key reasons why it’s worth expanding into the international market.
Take your online business to international markets. Outpace the competition and seize the opportunity to attract millions of new customers. Expand into a verified market with the help of specialists who will handle everything you need.
In this blog post, you’ll learn why expanding into a foreign market is a smart move. We’ll present the market’s evolution in hard numbers, offer useful recommendations, and show you how to kickstart your expansion successfully.
Current Trends and Directions in Romania’s E-commerce Market
Romania has one of the most important digital economies in Central and Eastern Europe. Its e-commerce market is constantly growing and evolving—and the COVID-19 pandemic significantly accelerated this growth. During the pandemic, consumers ordered more products and services online, leading to a major surge in internet sales. The peak occurred during the first year of the pandemic. Just like in Slovakia, the number of companies selling online increased, and restaurants focused on delivery services.
In 2021, Romania’s e-commerce market reached a value of €6.2 billion. According to GPeC (the Romanian e-commerce community) and ARMO (Romanian Online Stores Association), the value rose to €6.3 billion in 2022.
Top 3 Reasons to Expand into Romania
1.Constant Market Growth
Romanian e-commerce has high growth potential, with a forecasted doubling in market value over the next decade. The market is open and ready for expansion. The range of online products is increasing daily, which drives growing consumer interest. According to the National Institute of Statistics (INS), in 2022, 66% of internet users placed at least one online order, up 8.7% from 2021.
2.Low Competition and High Potential
The Romanian market is still developing, and the numbers confirm it. For example, according to eMAG representatives, Romanian online stores offer around 15 million products, while German stores offer over 100 million. There is clearly room for growth and real opportunity.
3.Romanian Customers Are Comfortable Buying from Abroad
Just like Slovak customers have become used to ordering from other countries, Romanian shoppers do the same. If an online store is trustworthy, offers local customer support, and has a well-translated website, Romanian consumers gain confidence and do not hesitate to place orders.
Romania in Numbers
According to a September 2022 study by iSense Solutions for GPeC, 25% of respondents said they purchased from online stores in other European countries—up from 21% in 2021.
The average transaction value on desktop in Romania increased: in 2022, Romanians spent an average of €70.75, compared to €66.67 in 2021. For mobile orders, the average cart value remained nearly the same: €46.47 in 2021 and €46.48 in 2022.
The number of mobile transactions is significantly higher than desktop orders. In 2022, 76.7% of all online orders were placed via mobile (compared to 69.8% in 2021). More than 80% of e-commerce traffic comes from mobile devices.
How We Adapt a Slovak E-shop for the Romanian Market
We place great emphasis on adapting the Slovak online store to the Romanian market to ensure it is as attractive and relevant as possible for local customers. Romanians rely heavily on reviews and recommendations, so we advise registering on local platforms such as eMag.ro or price comparison sites.
We particularly focus on:
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Professional and accurate website translation
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Simple returns and claims process using a local address
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Multiple payment and delivery options
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Shortest possible delivery times
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High-quality customer service
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Local-language support in Romanian
