Do you run a successful online store with further growth potential? If so, e-commerce expansion to Romania or Hungary may be a logical next step for your business.
Both markets have established e-commerce ecosystems, but they differ in size, online shopping adoption, competition and customer expectations. Choosing between them should therefore be based on your products, target customers, logistics, pricing and ability to localize the purchasing experience.
In this article, we compare the main characteristics of the Hungarian and Romanian e-commerce markets and look at the factors you should consider before deciding where to expand.
Table of Contents
- Characteristics and Key Advantages of the Hungarian Market
- Characteristics and Key Advantages of the Romanian Market
- Market Comparison at a Glance
- Where Does the FOZA SA Team Recommend Expanding?
- Conclusion
1. Characteristics and Key Advantages of the Hungarian Market
Every e-commerce business is different. When choosing a new market, decisions should be based on market data, competition, customer behaviour, logistics and the specific characteristics of your product category.
Hungarian e-commerce has developed considerably over the past decade. According to PwC Hungary, the market grew from around HUF 200 billion in 2015 to approximately HUF 2,100 billion in 2025. Around 4.4 million people shop online in Hungary, making e-commerce an established part of the retail environment.
Competition has also become increasingly international. Foreign platforms now play an important role in the market, which means that entering Hungary should not be based on the assumption that competition is limited. Pricing, assortment, delivery, payment options and customer experience all need to work reliably.
Cross-border shopping is already common. PwC reported that in the first quarter of 2026, 56% of Hungarian online shoppers had ordered from abroad, showing that customers are accustomed to buying from international sellers.
However, being a foreign online store does not automatically make the purchasing experience competitive. Localization and service quality remain important.
What Should an Online Store Prepare for Hungarian Customers?
When planning e-commerce expansion to Hungary, we recommend paying particular attention to:
- a modern and easy-to-use website,
- detailed and understandable product information,
- professional localization into Hungarian,
- customer service in Hungarian,
- clear payment and delivery options,
- transparent return and complaint procedures.
Price is important, but the wider customer experience also plays an increasingly important role. PwC describes Hungarian consumers as price-sensitive while also pointing to growing expectations around service quality, delivery and the overall purchasing experience.
Customer Support in Hungarian
A translated online store is only one part of localization.
Customers may contact the business with questions about products, payments, delivery, changes to an order, returns or complaints. Customer support should therefore be able to communicate naturally in Hungarian and have access to the information required to resolve these situations.
The goal is not simply to translate individual responses but to make dealing with the online store straightforward for the customer.
Competition Is Increasingly International
The Hungarian market is now influenced strongly by both domestic retailers and international marketplaces.
PwC reports that orders from sellers outside the EU accounted for almost 24% of transactions in Hungary in 2025, illustrating how strongly cross-border players are influencing the market.
For a foreign online store, this means that entering Hungary requires a clear positioning strategy rather than simply launching a translated version of an existing website.
2. Characteristics and Key Advantages of the Romanian Market
Romania represents a considerably larger consumer market and its e-commerce sector has grown strongly over the past several years.
According to the European E-Commerce Report 2026, Romanian B2C e-commerce reached approximately €12.9 billion in 2025, up 10% year on year and more than double its 2021 value.
Internet usage is already widespread. In 2025, approximately 95% of Romanians aged 16–74 used the internet, while around 60% bought goods or services online. This difference between internet access and online purchasing suggests that there is still room for further adoption.
For businesses considering e-commerce expansion to Romania, market size is therefore an important advantage — but it should not be confused with easy market entry. Domestic retailers, marketplaces and international platforms all compete for Romanian customers.
What Matters When Selling Online in Romania?
The original article highlighted factors such as price, delivery options, website usability, delivery speed and easy returns. These areas remain relevant when preparing a Romanian customer journey.
An online store should therefore make sure that customers can easily understand:
- the final product price,
- available payment options,
- delivery methods and estimated delivery times,
- product availability,
- return procedures,
- complaint procedures,
- how to contact customer support.
Customer Support in Romanian
Romanian-language customer support should be part of the expansion plan rather than an afterthought.
Customers may need information about the product, order status, payment, delivery or returns. The support team therefore needs both language skills and access to current operational information.
For complex issues, clear communication about what happens next is often more useful than a generic answer.
Parcel Lockers and Out-of-Home Delivery
Parcel lockers were described as an emerging trend in the original article. Today, they are an established and rapidly developing part of Romanian e-commerce logistics.
The European E-Commerce Report 2026 notes that parcel lockers and pick-up points continue to expand rapidly, giving customers greater flexibility while helping merchants manage last-mile delivery.
This means that businesses entering Romania should evaluate out-of-home delivery alongside standard courier delivery.
Popular Online Product Categories
The original article used 2022 category values. More recent full-year 2024 market estimates show that several of the same categories remain important:
- Fashion – approximately $2.23 billion
- Electronics – approximately $1.27 billion
- Beauty & Personal Care – approximately $780 million
- Food – approximately $370 million
- Household Essentials – approximately $220 million
- Toys & Hobby – approximately $220 million
- Furniture – approximately $150 million
- DIY & Hardware – approximately $140 million
- Physical Media – approximately $80 million
- Beverages – approximately $60 million
These are market estimates from Statista Market Insights for consumer-goods e-commerce and should therefore be treated as estimates rather than official statistics.
Payment Methods in Romania
The original article presented fixed percentages for cash on delivery, card payments, wallets and bank transfers. I would no longer use those 2022 percentages as current data.
Romania remains a hybrid payment market. Cash on delivery continues to play an important role, while card payments, digital wallets and Buy Now, Pay Later solutions are becoming increasingly common.
For an expanding e-shop, the practical conclusion is straightforward: do not rely on a single payment method. The checkout should reflect the payment options customers actually expect to use.
3. E-commerce Expansion to Romania or Hungary: Market Comparison
The original article compared Romania, Hungary and Slovakia. I would keep this table because it makes the differences between the markets easy to understand, but I would update the outdated indicators.
| Romania | Hungary | Slovakia | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2025) | 19.04 million | 9.54 million | 5.42 million |
| Standard VAT (2026) | 21% | 27% | 23% |
| Internet users, age 16–74 (2025) | 95% | 93% | 94% |
| Online shoppers, age 16–74 (2025) | 60% | 68% | 79% |
| Recent e-commerce market indicator | €12.9 bn B2C, 2025 | HUF 2.1 tn (2025) | €1.84 bn (2024) |
| Recent reported growth | +10% in 2025 | approx. +8%* | +6%(2024) |
The population figures are based on EU/Eurostat data for 2025. The current standard VAT rates are 21% in Romania, 27% in Hungary and 23% in Slovakia.
Internet and online-shopping percentages come from the European E-Commerce Report 2026.
One important note: the turnover figures are not perfectly comparable, because the underlying sources use different definitions and, in Slovakia’s case, the latest public figure we verified covers 2024. Romania’s €12.9 billion figure includes B2C goods and services, while the Hungarian PwC figure refers to online product turnover. The European E-Commerce Report itself warns that direct country comparisons should be made carefully because national methodologies differ. HANDELSVERBAND.swiss
4. Where Does the FOZA SA Team Recommend Expanding?
There is no universal answer to whether Romania or Hungary is the better market for e-commerce expansion.
The right choice depends on the online store.
Before making a recommendation, it is important to analyse:
- the product category,
- competition,
- pricing and margins,
- market demand,
- logistics,
- payment methods,
- localization requirements,
- customer support,
- returns and complaints.
If the business has not yet chosen a target country, market analysis can help determine which market is more suitable.
Romania or Hungary?
Romania offers one clear advantage in terms of scale. With approximately 19 million inhabitants, its population is roughly twice the size of Hungary’s, and its B2C e-commerce sector has grown considerably in recent years.
Hungary, on the other hand, has a smaller population but an established online shopping base. Approximately 4.4 million people shop online, and competition increasingly includes major international platforms.
This is why we would not publish the original statement that Romania is automatically “better for expansion”.
For one e-shop, Romania may offer greater potential because of its market size. For another, Hungary may make more sense because of logistics, existing demand, margins or product-market fit.
The decision should follow the data, not a general ranking of countries.
5. Conclusion
E-commerce expansion to Romania or Hungary can create new opportunities for an online store, but neither market should be approached as a simple extension of the domestic business.
Romania offers a larger population and a rapidly developing e-commerce sector. Hungary has a well-established base of online shoppers and a highly international competitive environment.
Whichever market you choose, several areas need to be prepared before launch:
- professional localization,
- local-language customer support,
- suitable payment methods,
- appropriate delivery options,
- clear return and complaint procedures,
- market-specific pricing and positioning.
The goal is not simply to translate an existing e-shop. It is to adapt the customer experience to the market you are entering.
At FOZA SA, we help online stores prepare for international expansion through localization, customer support and operational services adapted to individual markets.
Considering e-commerce expansion to Romania or Hungary? Contact us and we will help you evaluate which market is the better fit for your online store.
