Beyond Borders – Key Trends and Insights from Croatian eCommerce Research

At Balkan eCommerce Summit 2026, Marcel Majsan from eCommerce Hrvatska presented an in-depth overview of the Croatian eCommerce market, consumer behavior, and the biggest opportunities for international merchants entering Croatia.

The lecture focused on:

• cross-border commerce
• trust in online shopping
• localization
• delivery expectations
• payment preferences
• consumer behavior in the Balkans
• Croatian market growth opportunities

while highlighting why Croatia remains one of the most promising and still underdeveloped eCommerce markets in the region.

Croatia’s eCommerce Market Is Growing Rapidly

Marcel explained that:

Croatia’s eCommerce market surpassed €1 billion.

According to the research presented:

• online shopping frequency is increasing every year
• 40% of Croatian online shoppers buy online at least once per week
• market growth accelerated significantly after major international brands entered Croatia

The speaker emphasized that:

the market is still far from saturated.

Localization Is Critical for Success

One of the strongest messages in the lecture was:

if you want to sell successfully in Croatia, your website must be in Croatian.

According to Marcel:
Croatian consumers strongly associate localization with:

• trust
• legitimacy
• professionalism

A webshop without Croatian localization immediately creates:

• hesitation
• lower credibility
• reduced conversion potential

The lecture stressed that:

trust is one of the most important success factors in Balkan eCommerce.

Cross-Border Opportunity Is Huge

Croatia was described as:

a small but highly promising market.

Because the domestic market is limited in size:

• Croatian merchants increasingly expand cross-border
• international merchants also have strong opportunities to enter Croatia

The presentation explained that:

cross-border commerce is becoming normal consumer behavior.

Big International Brands Changed Consumer Behavior

The lecture highlighted the impact of brands such as:

• About You
• Zalando
• Temu

Their entrance into Croatia significantly:

• increased online shopping adoption
• improved trust in eCommerce
• accelerated card payment usage
• raised customer expectations

According to Marcel:
these companies helped normalize eCommerce for many Croatian consumers.

Brick-and-Mortar Retailers Still Dominate

An interesting insight from the lecture was that:

most major Croatian eCommerce players are still traditional retailers.

The majority of large online stores in Croatia:

• started as physical retailers
• later expanded online

Pure eCommerce-native brands remain relatively limited compared to more developed Western markets.

This creates:

strong opportunities for new digital-first brands entering the region.

Clothing Is the Leading eCommerce Category

According to the research presented:

fashion is the most popular online shopping category in Croatia.

The main drivers behind this growth were:

• free shipping
• free returns
• strong international fashion platforms

Brands like About You and Zalando helped establish:

consumer expectations around convenience and easy returns.

Delivery Expectations Are Extremely Price Sensitive

One of the key lessons from the lecture was:

Balkan consumers strongly expect cheap or free delivery.

According to the data:

• only 1% of consumers were willing to pay more than €4 for delivery
• delivery costs directly impact conversion rates

Marcel emphasized that:

expensive delivery creates major checkout friction.

This makes:

• low-cost shipping
• free delivery thresholds
• transparent logistics

essential for success in Croatia.

Parcel Lockers Are Growing Fast

The lecture highlighted the rapid adoption of:

parcel lockers.

Companies like:

BoxNow

have significantly accelerated locker adoption in Croatia.

According to Marcel:
parcel lockers are increasingly popular because they are:

• cheaper
• more convenient
• easier for consumers

However:

home delivery still remains dominant.

The recommended strategy for merchants was:

offer both home delivery and parcel lockers.

Cash on Delivery Still Dominates

A major insight from the session was that:

cash on delivery remains the most popular payment method in Croatia.

Even though:

• Apple Pay
• Google Pay
• digital wallets

are growing,
cash remains dominant due to:

• trust
• shopping habits
• regional consumer behavior

The lecture strongly emphasized:

merchants entering Croatia without COD will struggle.

Buy Now, Pay Later Failed in Croatia

Interestingly, Marcel explained that:

Buy Now, Pay Later solutions were unsuccessful in Croatia.

The reason:
local retailers already widely offer:

installment payments without interest.

Consumers are already accustomed to:

• splitting payments over multiple installments
• paying directly through retailers

As a result:
Western BNPL models failed to gain traction.

Marketing Costs Are Rising

The lecture also covered digital marketing trends.

According to Marcel:

• Meta advertising
• Google Ads
• PPC acquisition

are becoming more expensive every year.

Because of this:

merchants should focus more on owned audiences.

The speaker recommended investing in:

• email databases
• loyalty programs
• affiliate marketing
• influencer collaborations

instead of relying only on paid traffic.

Affiliate Marketing Is Growing

The lecture highlighted strong growth in:

affiliate marketing.

Marcel described affiliate marketing as:

a “no-brainer”

because merchants pay:

• only after conversion
• based on actual performance

This model is becoming increasingly attractive in Croatia due to rising ad costs.

Trust Signals Matter Enormously

One of the most important themes throughout the lecture was:

trust.

Croatian consumers still strongly value:

• visible phone numbers
• customer support
• transparent communication
• real reviews
• direct contact

Interestingly:

72% of webshops still use phone calls for customer communication.

According to Marcel:
even in the AI era,
human communication remains a major trust factor.

Direct Communication Channels Are a Huge Opportunity

The lecture identified:

SMS, WhatsApp, and Viber

as one of the biggest underused opportunities in Croatian eCommerce.

Research showed that:

• 90% of consumers want delivery updates through these channels
• many consumers are also open to promotional communication there

Because competition remains relatively low:

direct messaging channels currently offer very high engagement potential.

Reviews Are Essential for Cross-Border Trust

A particularly important insight for international sellers was:

reviews are one of the fastest ways to build trust in Croatia.

According to Marcel:
if a Bulgarian or international brand enters Croatia,
customers initially have:

• no familiarity
• no reputation awareness
• limited trust

Displaying:

• verified customer reviews
• translated testimonials
• strong social proof

can dramatically accelerate trust-building and conversion rates.

Key Takeaways from the Session

The lecture demonstrated that:
Croatia remains one of the fastest-growing eCommerce markets in the Balkans
localization and trust are essential for success
Croatian consumers expect cheap or free delivery
cash on delivery still dominates payments
parcel lockers are growing rapidly but home delivery remains important
major international brands accelerated market maturity
cross-border commerce creates major opportunities
affiliate marketing and owned audiences are becoming increasingly valuable
direct communication channels like WhatsApp and Viber remain underutilized
reviews and trust signals are critical for international brands entering the market

The overall conclusion was that Croatia offers significant untapped potential for regional and international eCommerce brands, especially those that localize properly, build trust effectively, and adapt to Balkan consumer behavior rather than applying generic Western European strategies.