ONLINE SHOPPING BAROMETER 2024

Online shopping is rapidly transforming the buying habits of Central Europe, especially as the Christmas shopping season approaches: 62 percent of the population is already shopping online, with the most active buyers living in Austria, Poland, and the Czech Republic. According to CEPER's latest research, Austrians (79%), Poles (78%), and Czechs (77%) are leading the way, while less than 40 percent of people in Montenegro and Serbia are taking advantage of online marketplaces.

Convenient home delivery remains the most popular delivery method (76%), but parcel lockers, especially in Poland (78%) and the Czech Republic (64%), are gaining ground. Interestingly, in Montenegro and Serbia, the popularity of home delivery is extremely high: 93 percent of shoppers choose this option, while in North Macedonia, the percentage for parcel lockers barely reaches 3 percent.

The differences in payment methods are also noteworthy: card transactions are most common in Croatia, with 78 percent of buyers using this payment method. In contrast, Serbs and Bulgarians, 86 and 78 percent respectively, continue to settle their online purchases with cash, one of the highest rates in the region. Cash use during payment is significantly below average among Austrians (9 percent) and Croatians (13 percent).

Although the majority of purchases (62%) still occur through websites, the use of applications is becoming increasingly popular. Montenegro (54%) and Romania (51%) lead this trend, while Slovenia (21%) and Slovakia (28%) continue to prefer traditional websites.

As the upcoming Christmas shopping rush approaches, it is essential that shoppers enjoy the convenience and speed offered by online platforms. The “Online Shopping Barometer 2024” clearly shows that Northern countries of Central Europe – such as Austria, Poland, and the Czech Republic – are at the forefront of digital shopping habits, while the southern regions are adapting more slowly to the opportunities presented by e-commerce.

Find more details about the study here.