A Comparative Analysis of Online Shopping Trends: Romania, Poland, Hungary, and Bulgaria

Abstract

Prior research has identified an important rise of online shopping among all these consumers; however, the region is still behind the adoption of e-commerce compared to western Europe consumers. Moreover, there are some important differences in the shopping habits among consumers in each of these countries, despite some commonalities. This article aims to explore the recent online shopping trends among consumers in some neighboring country in Central and Eastern Europe, i.e. Romanian, Hungarian, Polish and Bulgarian consumers. To this aim, several Eurostat e-commerce datasets were utilized for a statistical exploration covering the period 2011-2023. The focus was on online shopping trend evolution and demographic variations within the countries studied, with an analysis of differences according to factors like residence, age, education, and gender. The results of the detailed analysis offer a nuanced image of e-commerce adoption among different demographic groups, some groups being characterized by an accelerated adoption, while other groups still lag behind. This research can contribute to the development of strategies for increasing online shopping participation among consumer segments with lower current activity but promising growth potential. The study additionally reveals significant regional variations in e-commerce adoption. These insights can serve as a valuable resource for companies seeking to develop strategies that stimulate online shopping trends based on successful practices observed in other countries within the region. Finally, public policy aiming to ensure a more balanced increase of the digital economy among its different demographic groups could use the results to identify further the vulnerabilities of some of the consumers in terms of participation to the digital economy.