E-commerce in the Western Balkans - statistics & facts
The e-commerce market in the Western Balkans is still developing, with an increasing number of consumers becoming online shoppers each year. In 2024, Serbia had the highest e-commerce penetration rate in the region at 33 percent, while this figure stood at only 23 percent in the lowest-ranking Albania. As a result, Serbia recorded by far the highest e-commerce revenue, totaling approximately 922 million euros in the same year, followed by Bosnia and Herzegovina with 504 million euros.
Western Balkan economies display varying degrees of e-commerce adoption, with Serbia leading the way both in terms of user penetration and revenue. An increasing number of companies are extending their business into the online space, especially in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo. Clothing turned out to be the most popular online product category regarding the number of online stores as well as consumers’ purchasing habits.
Nearly a third of companies sell online
In 2024, around 27 percent of businesses in the Western Balkans sold goods or services over the internet. Bosnia and Herzegovina had the highest share of companies engaged in e-commerce sales, while Kosovo ranked second, followed by Montenegro. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, around 18 percent of the enterprises delivered at least a third of their revenue from online sales, and in Kosovo, their share reached over 20 percent. In terms of the sectoral distribution of online stores, apparel was the leading segment in most countries, accounting for over 15 percent of the webshops operating in North Macedonia.Which are the leading online product categories?
Clothes were the most popular e-commerce product category with consumers in the Western Balkans, especially in Serbia, as approximately a third of Serbians had purchased clothing items online over the past three months as of 2024. Online food delivery was particularly favored in Montenegro, recording a nearly 11-percent penetration rate. At the same time, cosmetic, beauty, and wellness products were mostly purchased by consumers in North Macedonia. When it comes to Albanian online shoppers, clothes remained the leading segment, followed by household items and online travel arrangements.Online shoppers prefer to pay upon delivery
In Bosnia and Herzegovina, payment on delivery was by far the most commonly used e-commerce payment method, with a nearly 70-percent share in 2023. It was followed by credit card and debit card payments, while PayPal was used by 15 percent of the respondents. At the same time, most Serbian e-commerce users also chose to pay for their online orders upon delivery, with approximately 65 percent of them having used this payment method over the past six months. Credit and debit card payments ranked second by popularity, both registering a 31-percent share.Western Balkan economies display varying degrees of e-commerce adoption, with Serbia leading the way both in terms of user penetration and revenue. An increasing number of companies are extending their business into the online space, especially in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo. Clothing turned out to be the most popular online product category regarding the number of online stores as well as consumers’ purchasing habits.
