Romania’s eCommerce market reached approximately EUR 8.1 billion in 2025 and is expected to surpass EUR 8.5 billion in 2026, although growth is entering a more competitive and less predictable phase compared to previous years. According to the MerchantPro eCommerce Insights 2026 report, inflation, pressure from international marketplaces, changing consumer behaviour, and the growing impact of AI on product discovery and conversions are reshaping the competitive landscape.
The report estimates that the market grew by around 6% in 2025, despite stagnating transaction volumes, while a more moderate 5% growth is expected in 2026. This comes against the backdrop of more cautious consumption, declining confidence, and structural changes in the digital ecosystem.
Growth this year may be supported by wider adoption of online shopping and the maturation of the customer experience, driven by investments in technology, personalisation, and conversion optimisation. At the same time, the introduction of taxes on non-EU platforms, both locally and at EU level, could reduce part of their cost advantage.
However, risks remain significant, report authors warn. Pressure on consumer budgets, socio-economic and political uncertainty, and the increasing market share of external platforms could limit the pace of development of the local eCommerce sector.
MerchantPro Compass data, based on the performance of stores active on its platform, confirms a mixed dynamic across the market in 2025. The average value of orders increased by 6.3%, in line with the overall market estimate, while the number of transactions rose by only 0.8%. This suggests that growth was driven primarily by higher average basket values rather than significantly higher order volumes.
Transaction volumes declined slightly by 0.29% in the first half of the year, followed by a modest recovery of 1.66% in the second half.
At sector level, the analysis highlights diverging trends. Segments such as Electro & IT (+21%) and Pharma (+65%) recorded strong growth, while categories like Fashion (-10.3%) and Children’s products (-12%) were affected by external competition and shifts in consumer behaviour.
The real stakes are shifting from gross growth to value control and the ability of local players to remain competitive in an ecosystem increasingly dominated by marketplaces and AI. In 2026, the differentiators will be operational efficiency, data, and the ability to build customer loyalty, said Arthur Rădulescu, CEO of MerchantPro.
AI, personalisation, and marketplaces reshape competition
Romania’s digital infrastructure continues to expand, with internet penetration reaching 95.1%, according to the National Institute of Statistics. As access is no longer a barrier, trust in the eCommerce ecosystem becomes a key factor for further growth.
The report shows that artificial intelligence is playing an increasingly important role in product discovery and conversion optimisation. Globally, 65% of users say AI influences their purchasing decisions, as these technologies become integrated into search engines, product recommendations, and virtual assistants.
At the same time, AI-driven personalisation is starting to translate into measurable commercial performance. Case studies from stores using the MerchantPro platform indicate that integrated AI solutions can generate conversion rates more than four times higher.
Meanwhile, marketplaces are consolidating their position as primary entry points into online commerce, concentrating growing volumes of traffic and influencing how merchants approach distribution and digital marketing strategies.
According to the report, generalist marketplaces dominate traffic rankings in Romania, with eMAG, Trendyol, and Temu among the platforms capturing the largest share of user visits. The expansion of global platforms is also visible at European level. In the first half of 2025, around 25% of EU consumers made at least one purchase on Temu, while in Romania the platform reached approximately 4.7 million monthly active users. Trendyol surpassed around 1.3 million buyers, strengthening its local presence and ranking second among the most visited online stores.
These developments reflect a structural shift in the digital ecosystem, where marketplaces are becoming the main gateways for product discovery. Marketplaces now function as traffic hubs for online commerce. For merchants, this changes how distribution and digital marketing strategies need to be designed. The integration of data-driven technologies and the optimisation of customer experience remain among the most important factors for online store performance, said Arthur Rădulescu.
The third edition of the MerchantPro eCommerce Insights report analyses the evolution of the sector from the perspective of consumer behaviour, dominant trends, and the key shifts expected to shape the market in 2026.
