Throughout the first nine months of 2025, the Balkan eCommerce Summit team conducted a focused survey among Hungarian online merchants to understand how their revenues are evolving, which technologies and channels they rely on, and how customer behaviour is changing as we enter 2026. The full State of Balkan eCommerce 2025 report combines quantitative data from businesses with qualitative insights from founders and managers across different sizes and verticals. This country-specific analysis summarises the most important findings from the survey and outlines the key trends, risks, and opportunities for Hungarian eCommerce in 2026. You can download the full report here.
The State of Hungarian eCommerce 2025 survey shows a market in a clear growth phase. Many businesses are already fully online, Google Ads and Facebook dominate acquisition, and most merchants still concentrate on the domestic customer while cautiously eyeing regional Central and Eastern Europe. At the same time, loyalty programs, accessibility, and advanced cybersecurity are underdeveloped, and many operations still mix manual work with partial automation.
Revenue: Strong Growth for Three Out of Four Merchants
Online revenues in Hungary grew sharply in 2025:
- 75% of respondents increased online revenue in the first nine months of 2025 versus 2024.
- 45.8% achieved strong growth above 20%, and 29.2% reported 5–20% growth.
- 12.5% stayed roughly stable, and only 12.5% saw declines.
Growth is particularly evident among larger and mid‑sized businesses, but even smaller merchants show a high share of strong growth, with more volatility on the downside.Hungarian eCommerce is in a high-growth phase, with only a small minority struggling or stagnating. Quite different from neighbouring countries and worth exploring as an opportunity.
How Important Is Online? For Many, It Is Already Everything
Online channels are not just a side play:
- 41.7% of respondents are exclusively online, generating 100% of their revenue from eCommerce.
- Another 12.5% get more than 50% of revenue online.
- Together, 54.2% rely on online as their main or only revenue stream.
- 29.2% still have less than 25% of revenue online.
- 16.7% sit in the 25-50% band.
Compared to neighboring markets, Hungary has a very high share of fully online businesses, especially among higher‑turnover respondents.
Tech Stack and Costs: Mostly Affordable, With a High‑Spend Minority
Monthly costs for maintaining the store (platform + tools) are moderate for most participants:
- 58.3% keep costs below €1,000 per month.
- 25% spend €1,000–5,000.
- 16.7% are above €5,000.
Smaller merchants are almost entirely below €1,000, while larger ones are more evenly spread, with a quarter in the high‑cost band. Hungarian eCommerce runs on cost‑efficient tools for the majority, with a meaningful minority of larger brands investing more heavily in their tech stack.
Mobile: Mobile‑Optimised Sites Are Standard, Advanced Mobile Is Rare
On mobile strategy:
- 66.7% rely only on a mobile‑optimised website.
- 12.5% use a Progressive Web App (PWA) or advanced mobile features.
- 4.2% offer a mobile app for customers.
- 16.7% report no specific mobile strategy at all.
Across revenue bands, a mobile‑optimised website is the baseline. PWAs and apps are niche, and a non‑trivial minority still have no real mobile plan.
Operations: Acquisition Pain First, Logistics Second
When asked about their biggest operational challenge:
- 66.7% say customer acquisition and marketing.
- 29.2% name logistics and order fulfillment.
- 4.2% cite increasing costs as their main issue.
For both large and small businesses, the hardest problem is finding customers at a reasonable cost, not running the store itself.
Inventory and Fulfilment: Automation Leads, Outsourcing Still a Minority Choice
Hungarian merchants manage inventory and orders in three main ways:
- 50% use an automated inventory management system.
- 37.5% still manage manually with basic tools.
- 12.5% use outsourced logistics/fulfillment.
Larger merchants lean more to automation; small merchants still rely heavily on manual processes and are more likely to outsource parts of logistics. Hungary is further along in automation than some neighboring markets, but outsourced fulfillment is still marginal, albeit more present than in Bulgaria or Croatia for example.
Geography: Domestic Focus With Clear Regional Ambitions
Customer base today:
- 41.7% have no sales abroad.
- 25% have less than 10% foreign customers.
- 8.3% are in the 10–30% range.
- 25% have over 30% of customers outside Hungary.
Larger brands are more international, with a third already above 30% foreign customers, while smaller merchants are more purely domestic.
Plans for 2026:
- 41.7% plan to focus on the domestic market.
- 29.2% want to expand to neighbouring countries.
- 29.2% target broader European or global markets.
When asked where they would like to sell if conditions allowed (multi‑select, N = 66):
- Central‑Eastern Europe as a region – 18.2%.
- Slovakia and Bulgaria – 16.7% each.
- Croatia – 13.6%.
- Slovenia – 10.6%.
- Open responses repeatedly mention Romania as a key target.
Hungarian merchants want to deepen at home and radiate across CEE, with strong interest in Slovakia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Slovenia and Romania.
Marketing Mix: Google Ads on Top, Facebook Dominates Social
Top sales‑generating channels:
- Google Ads – the clear leader at 50% of respondents.
- Social media ads – 20.8%.
- SEO – 16.7%.
- Direct traffic, trade secret, and price comparison sites each at 4.2%.
For larger companies, Google Ads is still dominant, but smaller merchants lean more on social media and SEO.
On social platforms:
- Facebook is named the best‑performing platform by 87.5% of respondents.
- “Other” platforms account for 8.3%.
- TikTok is at 4.2%, with isolated strong performers among smaller brands.
Hungary is one of the clearest examples of Google Ads + Facebook as the core engine of growth, with other channels playing secondary roles.
Budgets: Many Spend Big on Ads, Less So on Content
Advertising budgets (per month):
- 41.7% spend more than 2,000,000 HUF (high spenders).
- 33.3% spend less than 400,000 HUF.
- 20.8% are between 400,000 and 2,000,000 HUF.
- 4.2% prefer not to answer.
Among higher‑turnover merchants, three‑quarters are in the top budget band.
Content creation budgets:
- 45.8% spend less than 400,000 HUF per month.
- 29.2% have no separate content budget at all.
- 16.7% spend 400,000–2,000,000 HUF.
- 8.3% are above 2,000,000 HUF.
So content is better funded here than in some neighboring markets, but three‑quarters still sit in the “low or no budget” group.
Who Runs Marketing: Hungary Is the Most Agency‑Friendly of the Region
Digital marketing and webshop optimisation are handled:
- 54.2% via a hybrid model (in‑house + agency).
- 41.7% fully in‑house.
- Only 4.2% report no active digital marketing.
Agency budgets:
- 37.5% spend 400,000–2,000,000 HUF per month on agencies.
- 12.5% spend under 400,000 HUF.
- 8.3% exceed 2,000,000 HUF.
- 33.3% do not work with an agency at all.
- 8.3% prefer not to answer.
Larger Hungarian merchants are far more likely than their regional peers to run structured hybrid setups with meaningful agency budgets.
Customer Experience: Mostly Office‑Hours Support, Very Low Returns
Customer service models:
- 62.5% rely on email and phone during business hours.
- 25% offer multi‑channel support including live chat.
- 12.5% provide 24/7 continuous support (automated + human).
Key performance indicators look strong:
- Non‑picked‑up orders:
- 79.2% of merchants report less than 5% of orders not collected.
- The remaining 20.8% are in the 5–15% band.
- Returns after receipt:
- 91.7% of merchants have return rates below 5%.
- Only 8.3% fall into 5–15%.
Average basket size:
- 75% have an AOV between 10,000 and 40,000 HUF.
- 20.8% are above 40,000 HUF.
- 4.2% are below 10,000 HUF.
This indicates a healthy mid‑ticket segment with relatively high satisfaction and very low returns.
Compliance and Security: Awareness Growing, Execution Still Uneven
On accessibility:
- 37.5% do not know the regulations.
- 29.2% say they are fully compliant.
- 20.8% know the rules but have not acted yet.
- 12.5% know and are currently implementing improvements.
On cybersecurity:
- 50% sit at basic protection (SSL, secure hosting, no audits or training).
- 29.2% report strong protection (systems, backups, training).
- 12.5% do not know the risks.
- 8.3% know the risks but have not taken concrete steps.
In short, baseline protection exists almost everywhere, but proactive, documented security and accessibility work is still limited, especially among smaller players.
Loyalty: Decent Behaviour, Weak Programs
On loyalty behaviour:
- 50% say over 15% of their customers are loyal/returning.
- 29.2% are in the 5–15% range.
- 20.8% see less than 5% repeat buyers.
On loyalty programs:
- 75% have no loyalty program.
- 16.7% run a basic points or discount program.
- 8.3% use a more complex, personalised program.
Hungary has a solid underlying base of loyal customers, but as in other markets, structured loyalty mechanics lag behind behaviour.
Product Mix and Couriers: International Goods and Moderate Diversification
Product types:
- 41.7% sell mainly international products and brands.
- 33.3% sell a mix of Hungarian and international.
- 25% focus on mainly Hungarian/local products.
Logistics partners:
- 37.5% work with 3–5 courier companies.
- 29.2% rely on just one courier.
- 25% use exactly 2 couriers.
- 8.3% work with more than 5 couriers and shipping options.
Larger merchants tend to be more diversified on couriers; smaller ones often stick to one or two partners.
Channels and Competition: Own Webshops First, Domestic Rivals Strongest
Sales channels:
- 50% sell only through their own webshop.
- 41.7% combine their own webshop + marketplaces.
- 8.3% sell only through marketplaces.
Strongest direct competitors:
- 62.5% say domestic competitors.
- 20.8% point to neighbouring‑country competitors.
- 16.7% cite major international platforms like Temu, Trendyol, Amazon.
Most Hungarian brands own their customer relationships, see local rivals as the main threat rather than foreign players, and use social media and other specialized marketplaces as secondary channels.
AI: Meaningful Efficiency Gains and Broad Adoption
Impact on team efficiency:
- 41.7% report a significant positive impact (over 20% improvement).
- 33.3% report moderate improvements (5–20%).
- 25% see no significant change.
AI tools in regular use:
- Generative AI for content – 39.1%.
- AI chatbots and customer service – 21.7%.
- AI for data analysis and forecasts – 19.6%.
- AI for ad automation – 10.9%.
- Only 8.7% report no AI tools.
Planned technologies:
- AI‑supported personalised features and chatbots – 44.1%.
- Advanced analytics and reporting tools – 38.2%.
- No plans – 14.7%.
- AR/VR, blockchain, IoT – 2.9%.
AI in Hungary is not just hype: most merchants already use it, and the majority plan to deepen usage around personalisation and analytics.
Customer Habits: More Sensitive, More Mobile, More Demanding
Changes in customer behaviour:
- 40.9% see customers becoming more price‑sensitive and discount‑driven.
- 31.8% note higher expectations for faster delivery and better services.
- 25% observe that customers primarily shop on mobile and want personalised experiences.
- Only 2.3% mention “desire for unique offers”.
Large merchants see these trends more strongly, especially on price sensitivity and mobile plus personalisation.
In Summary: Hungary Is a High‑Growth, High‑Spend, Domestically Focused Market
Hungarian eCommerce in 2025 is:
- In a strong growth phase, with three‑quarters of merchants increasing revenue and almost half growing over 20%.
- Already very digital, with more than half of respondents getting the majority of revenue from online and over 40% fully online.
- Powered by Google Ads and Facebook, with meaningful but secondary roles for SEO and other channels.
- Operationally solid, with low non‑pickup rates and very low returns.
- Region‑minded, looking toward CEE markets like Slovakia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Slovenia and especially Romania.
- Still underdeveloped in loyalty, accessibility and advanced cybersecurity, and often reliant on low or informal content budgets.
- Actively adopting AI, with visible efficiency gains and strong interest in personalisation and analytics.
The Hungarian businesses are clearly experiencing success so their next steps are questionable. Try and improve on what works or fight to keep the good thing you already have going for you?
The next step for Hungarian brands is to move from pure acquisition and ad spend toward richer content, stronger loyalty and retention structures, more robust compliance and security, and AI‑driven decision‑making that can support sustainable expansion across Central and Eastern Europe.
The markets and partners behind these findings, together with our speakers who bring decades of hands-on eCommerce experience, can all be met in person in one place only. That place is the Balkan eCommerce Summit 2026. Many of the challenges and case studies that emerge from this Hungarian survey and the broader Balkan study are discussed and solved there through real examples, practical panels, and direct conversations between merchants, platforms, logistics providers, and marketing experts. You can download the full version of the survey, with all data and detailed breakdowns, from this link: Download the full eCommerce survey report.