Throughout the first nine months of 2025, the Balkan eCommerce Summit team conducted a focused survey among Greek 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 eCommerce businesses in Greece in 2026. You can download the full report here.
The State of Greek eCommerce 2025 survey shows a market that has largely stabilised on the revenue side, remains strongly domestic, and is heavily driven by Google Ads and Facebook/Instagram. Most merchants run on low‑to‑mid cost tech stacks, manage inventory in‑house, and handle customer support in traditional ways, while AI is starting to deliver moderate efficiency gains. Loyalty programs, accessibility, and deeper automation are still underused, which leaves clear opportunities for the next few years.
Revenue: More Growth Than Decline, With a Large “Stable” Middle
Online revenue performance in the first nine months of 2025 compared to 2024 is mostly positive:
- 37.7% of respondents report moderate growth between 5% and 20%.
- 15.1% see strong growth above 20%.
- 32.1% say revenue is stable within ±5%.
- Only 15.1% report declines, mostly in the 5–20% range.
In other words, about half grew, one‑third stayed flat, and only a small minority shrank, with very few severe declines.
Role of Online: Either a Side Channel or a Main Engine
Online revenue contribution is clearly split across the board:
- 34.0% of respondents derive under 25% of total revenue from online sales.
- 26.4% sit in the 25–50% range.
- 24.5% generate over 50% of total revenue online.
- 15.1% operate exclusively online (100%).
So for many Greek merchants online is still one of several channels, but for around 40% it is already the majority or all of their income. Larger businesses are especially likely to be in the 50%+ band.
Tech Stack and Costs: Low Cost for Many, High Cost for a Quarter
Monthly costs to maintain the online store (platform + tools):
- 47.2% spend €0–€1,000 per month.
- 28.3% spend €1,000–€5,000.
- 24.5% spend over €5,000.
Smaller merchants are almost all below €1,000. In contrast, larger companies skew clearly toward mid and high spend, with more than 40% above €5,000.
The picture: cost‑efficient setups dominate, but there is a significant tier of brands investing more heavily in tech and tooling.
Mobile: Mobile‑Optimised Sites Are the Standard
On mobile strategy, the market is very conservative:
- 84.9% rely on a mobile‑optimised website.
- 7.5% offer a mobile app for customers.
- 1.9% use a PWA or advanced mobile features.
- 5.7% report none of the above (no clear mobile strategy).
Medium‑turnover businesses are the most “pure” here: 100% rely only on a mobile‑optimised website. Smaller businesses are more likely to have no mobile strategy at all. Advanced mobile experiences remain the exception.
Biggest Operational Challenge: Demand vs. Delivery
When asked about the single biggest operational challenge in eCommerce:
- 58.5% say customer acquisition and marketing.
- 41.5% name logistics and order fulfilment.
For smaller businesses, acquisition is overwhelmingly the main pain. For larger businesses, logistics nearly catches up with acquisition, reflecting more complex operations and higher order volumes.
Inventory and Fulfilment: Manual and In‑House First, Automation Rising, Outsourcing Rare
Inventory and order fulfilment are mostly handled in‑house:
- 52.8% manage inventory and fulfillment with manual tracking and basic tools.
- 43.4% use an automated inventory management system.
- Only 3.8% use a third‑party outsourcing/fulfilment service.
Bigger companies are more automated, but even there manual processes still remain common practice. Smaller brands lean heavily on manual tools and only occasionally outsource. Outsourced fulfillment is clearly marginal, with most Greek merchants preferring to keep operations under direct control.
Geography: Domestic Market First, Limited International Reach
Customer base:
- 41.5% do not sell outside Greece at all.
- 47.2% have under 10% of customers abroad.
- Only 11.4% have a meaningful share of foreign customers (10%+), split between 10–30% and over 30%.
Expansion plans for 2026:
- 52.8% plan to focus on growing the domestic market.
- 24.5% want to target broader European or global markets.
- 20.8% aim to expand into neighbouring Balkan countries.
Most Greek eCommerce businesses are still firmly domestically oriented, but nearly half have some form of international ambition (regional Balkans first with very few looking wider to the European/global markets).
Marketing Mix: Google Ads in the Lead, Facebook and Instagram Power Social
Top sales‑driving marketing channels:
- Google Ads – 41.5%, clearly number one.
- Social media advertising – 24.5%.
- SEO – 20.8%.
- All other top channels (email, marketplaces, direct, influencers) together account for 13.3%.
Among larger companies, Google Ads is also dominant, often combined with SEO and paid social.
On social media performance:
- Facebook is the top performance platform for 45.3% of respondents.
- Instagram follows at 28.3%.
- TikTok is at 11.3%.
- “Other” accounts for 15.1%.
Smaller merchants are more likely to see Instagram as their best‑performing social channel, while larger brands overwhelmingly favour Facebook.
Budgets: Polarised Between Low and High
Average monthly advertising budget:
- 34.0% spend up to €1,000.
- 24.5% spend €1,000–€5,000.
- 32.1% spend over €5,000.
- 9.4% prefer not to answer.
Larger businesses are heavily concentrated in the €5,000+ band (over 60%), while smaller ones are almost entirely in the under €1,000 segment.
Content creation budgets:
- 56.6% allocate up to €1,000 per month.
- 20.8% have no specific content budget.
- 13.2% spend €1,000–€5,000.
- 9.4% exceed €5,000.
Even among larger brands, only about a fifth invest more than € 5,000 in content. For most, content remains underfunded relative to advertising.
Who Runs Marketing: In‑House, Hybrid, and Full Outsourcing All Present
Digital marketing and online store optimisation are handled in three ways:
- 35.8% manage fully in‑house.
- 34.0% use a combination of in‑house + agency.
- 20.8% are entirely outsourced to an external digital agency.
- 9.4% say they do not do active digital marketing.
Among high‑turnover businesses, hybrid setups dominate, whereas smaller businesses rely more on in‑house only and are more likely to have no structured digital marketing.
Agency budgets:
- 28.3% do not work with an agency.
- 26.4% spend up to €1,000 per month.
- 30.2% spend €1,000–€5,000.
- 5.7% spend over €5,000.
- 9.4% prefer not to say.
When agencies are used, the €1,000–5,000 band is the most common.
Customer Experience: Mostly Office Hours, But Very Low Non‑Pickup and Returns
Customer service models:
- 81.1% provide support via email and phone during business hours.
- 17.0% offer multi‑channel support including live chat.
- Only 1.9% provide 24/7 support (automation + agents).
Despite traditional setups, performance is strong:
- Unclaimed (undelivered) orders:
- 81.1% keep this under 5% of orders.
- 15.1% are in the 5–15% band.
- Only 3.8% exceed 15%.
- Returns after receipt:
- 75.5% report return rates under 5%.
- 22.6% are in the 5–15% range.
- Only 1.9% exceed 15%.
Average order value (AOV):
- 81.1% sit in the 25–100 € band.
- 15.1% exceed 100 €.
- 3.8% are under 25 €.
Greek online stores operate with healthy mid‑range baskets and relatively low friction at the final steps of the customer journey.
Accessibility and Cybersecurity: Awareness Growing, But Implementation Uneven
Accessibility (for people with disabilities):
- 34.0% say they are fully compliant.
- 28.3% are aware but have not implemented measures yet.
- 22.6% are currently implementing improvements.
- 15.1% do not know the requirements.
Cybersecurity meanwhile shows:
- 50.9% report basic protection only (SSL, secure hosting, no regular audits or training).
- 47.2% report strong protection (dedicated systems, backups, staff training).
- Only 1.9% are in the “aware but no specific measures yet” category, and virtually no respondents say they have no protection at all.
Compared to other markets, Greece shows a relatively high share of full accessibility compliance and strong cybersecurity, but smaller businesses still lag on both.
Loyalty and Programs: Solid Behaviour, Mixed Structure
Loyal/repeat buyers:
- 52.8% say over 15% of their customers are loyal or repeat buyers.
- 34.0% report 5–15% repeat buyers.
- Only 13.2% have under 5%.
Loyalty programs:
- 54.7% do not have a loyalty program.
- 35.8% run a basic points or discount program.
- 9.4% use an advanced, tiered, personalised program.
So while natural customer loyalty is relatively strong, the majority of merchants still do not systematically structure or reward that behaviour.
Channels and Competition: Own Store + Marketplaces, Domestic Rivals on Top
Sales channels:
- 49.1% use a combination of own store + marketplaces.
- 47.2% sell only through their own online store.
- Just 3.8% sell only through marketplaces.
Courier partners:
- 26.4% use only one courier.
- 24.5% use 2 couriers.
- 24.5% use 3–5 couriers.
- 17.0% work with more than 5 couriers + extra options.
Competition:
- 77.4% say their strongest direct competition comes from the domestic market.
- 18.9% point to large international players (Temu, Trendyol, Amazon, etc.).
- 3.8% mention sellers from neighbouring countries.
The Greek eCommerce space is therefore primarily shaped by domestic rivals, with global platforms gaining relevance, but regional cross‑border competition is still modest.
AI: Moderate Gains, Half the Market Still on the Fence
Impact on team efficiency:
- 41.5% report a moderate positive impact from AI (5–20% improvement).
- 17.0% report a strong positive impact (over 20%).
- 37.7% see no significant change.
- 3.8% report negative impact.
AI tools in regular use (multi‑select):
- Generative AI for content creation – 49.1%.
- No AI tools – 37.7%.
- AI for data analysis and prediction – 28.3%.
- AI for advertising automation – 20.8%.
- AI chatbot for customer service – 11.3%.
Planned emerging technologies (multi‑select):
- Advanced analytics and reporting tools – 35.6%.
- Personalisation with AI and chatbots – 35.6%.
- No plans – 19.2%.
- AR/VR, blockchain, IoT – 9.6%.
AI is starting to matter, especially for content and analytics, but a sizeable segment still does not use AI at all and nearly one‑fifth plans no adoption of emerging tech.
Customer Habits: Faster, Cheaper, More Mobile
Changes in customer habits (single primary choice):
- 40.0% highlight expectations for faster delivery and better service.
- 35.8% see customers becoming more price‑sensitive and discount‑driven.
- 24.2% note that customers primarily shop via mobile and expect personalised experiences.
Larger businesses are most likely to see all three trends at once, smaller ones emphasise price sensitivity above everything else.
Markets of Interest: CEE, Romania, and Bulgaria at the Top
If conditions were right, respondents would like to sell to:
- Central & Eastern Europe (CEE) – 25.2% of selections.
- Romania – 23.1%.
- Bulgaria – 21.1%.
- Western Balkans – 17.0%.
- Hungary – 12.2%.
- “Other” – 1.4%.
So while most current business is domestic, expansion dreams are clearly regional, with CEE, Romania, and Bulgaria leading the wish lists.
Payment Methods: Cards First, But Traditional Options Still Strong
Across 180 mentions (multi‑select):
- Debit/credit cards – 28.9%.
- Bank transfer – 25.0%.
- Cash on delivery – 22.8%.
- Digital wallets – 15.0%.
- Buy now, pay later (BNPL) – 8.3%.
Greek eCommerce offers a balanced mix of card payments, bank transfers, and cash on delivery, with wallets and BNPL growing but not yet mainstream.
In Summary: Greek eCommerce Is Stable, Domestic, and Performance‑Driven
Greek eCommerce in 2025 is:
- Revenue‑positive overall, with most merchants growing or at least holding steady.
- Still strongly domestically focused, with relatively limited cross‑border sales but clear regional ambitions, especially toward CEE, Romania, and Bulgaria.
- Performance‑driven, with Google Ads, Facebook, and Instagram at the core of acquisition strategies, and a non‑trivial number of brands committing high ad budgets.
- Operationally competent, keeping non‑pickup and return rates low and average order values in a healthy 25–100 € range.
- Underdeveloped in formal loyalty programs, structured content investment, and fully automated operations, even though natural loyalty levels are fairly high.
- Experimenting with AI, mainly for content and data, but with a large segment still at low adoption or no adoption.
The Greek eCommerce market is primed with some excellent opportunities for growth and scale abroad as they face few external threats themselves:
For the next few years, the strongest opportunities will lie in turning performance spend into owned audiences and loyalty, deepening automation where manual work remains heavy, and professionalising accessibility, security, and content strategies so that Greek brands can compete not only domestically but across the region on more than just price and ad buying power.
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 Greek 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.