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~ Expandeco ~

Most of Europe’s e-commerce businesses were established in Western Europe. They are also
currently responsible for around 64% of the continent’s overall retail sales.

t is interesting to see that while Southern, North- example, in Romania, customers predominantly make phone
ern, and Eastern Europe make up only a few per calls. In Ukraine, customers may even expect you to call them
Icent of the e-commerce pie, having 12%, 8% and after placing an order, while in Hungary, they prefer e-mail
6% respectively, they are still the fastest-growing communication.
regions within the industry. A great example is Ro-
mania, where the number of e-commerce businesses So, which way to go?
grew by 33%. To make such a decision, you need to first take a closer look at
your options. Conducting a market analysis helps you to find
This is one of the biggest reasons why expanding your busi- the different price comparison sites and explore the range of
ness to Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) is an excellent products and services that your main competitors have to offer.
idea. Customers are getting more used to online shopping, You can even do some Mystery Shopping and find out how
the number of orders is increasing, and their value is growing these businesses communicate with their customers and get a
as well. Logistics companies are now cutting back on delivery glimpse at their internal processes.
times.
Every country within the CEE region is different, but they
The benefits of selling online are countless. None of the ex- all have their advantages and disadvantages when it comes to
penses related to brick and mortar stores, low operating costs, e-commerce projects.
open 24/7 and most importantly, no more worrying about
borders. You can sell your goods to everyone in Europe. Poland
Poland is one of the most attractive countries for e-commerce
Tidy up your own playground before expansion businesses and not only within CEE, but in the whole of Eu-
Having solid ground under your feet before you attempt to rope. It ranks 9th amongst European countries with a popula-
penetrate any new market is crucial. Stabilise the number of tion of approx. 38.5 million (if we consider Russia and Turkey
orders and the revenue in your home country first to create as well), and 28 million of these are internet users (24.1 million
a profitable online business abroad. With expansion comes PC users and 22 million smart device users), and half of online
a great deal of costs as well, so you will want to have at least customers stated that they use several devices for online shop-
one reliable source of income. ping. This means that if you want to increase your conversion
rates, optimisation for several devices is a must-have.
Europe offers plenty of opportunities to grow your business.
In general, expansion to your neighbouring countries or East- Generally, the number of internet users who shop online in
ern Europe is simpler, faster and cheaper. Online stores have Poland has increased. 48% of internet users have shopped
found that it is easier to establish themselves in these markets online in 2016, but by 2017, this number had grown to 54%.
and obtain positive revenues quickly. The return on invest- By the end of 2020, the estimated number of online shoppers
ment regarding expansion into Eastern European countries in Poland was 70% of all internet users.
is estimated as taking 6 to 12 months. The fact that Ama-
zon and eBay are not localised here and not every customer E-commerce is booming thanks to easy to use shopping plat-
is used to buying there supports expansion in the Central, forms and transparent comparison sites. These key elements of
South and Eastern European regions. Therefore, people prefer the e-commerce game can be of great service when it comes to
to buy in an e-shop which is fully localised and where there increasing revenue. The most popular are Ceneo and Allegro.
are no language or other types of barriers. An experienced Amazon is also becoming more popular through its German
partner, such as Expandeco, can play a major role in this versions. Online sellers are profiting from Poland’s trade ban as
process and can guide you through the nuances. well. Due to this regulation, stores can be open only on selected
Sundays during the year.
The English language is not enough
We certainly recommend translating your website and having Hungary
customer service available in the local language. If you have According to GKI Digital’s survey, Hungary’s e-commerce
decided on customer service in English in the CEE region, market is still growing. In 2018, online stores generated 425
your results will absolutely suffer. In general, knowledge of billion forints in revenue. This represents 17% in annual growth
the English language, which is predominantly used in the and 4.5% from Hungary’s overall retail sales.
e-commerce environment in Western Europe, is declining
eastwards. Each country has different local customs, so do The Hungarian market is still yet to reach its potential when
not limit yourself to mail communication and vice versa. For it comes to competition, offered products, and services. In fact,

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