{"id":56009,"date":"2026-06-08T18:58:59","date_gmt":"2026-06-08T22:58:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/overcentral.com\/en\/?p=56009"},"modified":"2026-06-08T18:58:59","modified_gmt":"2026-06-08T22:58:59","slug":"central-europe-ecommerce-growth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/overcentral.com\/en\/central-europe-ecommerce-growth\/","title":{"rendered":"Central Europe Ecommerce Grows 8% as Buyer Frequency Drives Sales"},"content":{"rendered":"

Central Europe’s ecommerce market is projected to grow by 8 percent in 2026, reaching \u20ac206.6 billion, with a similar rate forecast for 2027. According to a new report from ECDB<\/a> and Mastercard<\/a>, this steady expansion is not being driven by a surge of new customers, but rather by existing online shoppers who are simply buying more frequently. The finding marks a strategic shift for retailers across the region, moving the competitive focus from customer acquisition to the nuanced challenge of retention.<\/p>\n

Why Buyer Frequency Has Become the Dominant Growth Driver<\/h2>\n

The report, which covers eleven Central European markets, identifies purchasing frequency as the single most important engine for online sales growth. The number of transactions per customer is increasing at a significantly faster rate than either the total number of online shoppers or the average order value. This pattern indicates that the low-hanging fruit of new customer acquisition during the pandemic boom has been largely harvested. The path to growth now lies in deepening relationships with an existing customer base, making loyalty programs, personalized marketing, and seamless user experiences critical competitive differentiators.<\/p>\n

Central Europe Ecommerce Growth: A Market in a “Stable and Predictable Phase”<\/h2>\n

After years of volatility that included a pandemic-era explosion followed by a period of stagnation, the Central European ecommerce landscape is settling into a more mature trajectory. Total online spending is forecast to climb from \u20ac191.3 billion in 2025 to \u20ac206.6 billion in 2026, with a projected further increase to \u20ac223.5 billion in 2027<\/a>. The research partners describe this convergence around an 8 percent annual growth rate as a sign of entering “a more stable and predictable phase,” a development that significantly improves long-term planning confidence for investors, logistics providers, and merchants. This steadiness allows for more strategic investment in infrastructure and technology rather than reactive pivots to fluctuating demand.<\/p>\n

Germany, Poland, and the Variations Across the Region<\/h2>\n

While the regional average provides a useful baseline, the performance of individual national markets reveals considerable variation. Germany remains the dominant force in Central Europe, with its ecommerce sector\u2014 recently described as the growth engine of German retail \u2014 expected to expand by just under 8 percent. Switzerland is forecast to see a similar increase. Austria is projected to grow at a slightly faster pace than its German-speaking neighbor.<\/p>\n

Poland, the second-largest ecommerce market in the region, is outperforming the average with a predicted growth rate of approximately 9 percent. The most aggressive expansion, however, is expected in Southern Europe. Greece, for instance, is forecast to see an 11 percent increase in online spending, while the small island nation of Malta is anticipated to grow even faster. The report highlights a general rule across these diverse markets: there is a “clear connection between online penetration and growth,” with a few notable exceptions where local dynamics defy the broader trend.<\/p>\n

Cross-Border Ecommerce Flows: Austria Leads, Germany Dominates Domestically<\/h2>\n

The report also provides a detailed look at cross-border shopping habits, a crucial element for international sellers and logistics firms. The share of online spending directed to foreign webshops varies dramatically across the region. Austria stands out with the highest percentage, where a substantial 44 percent of all online spending flows to merchants based outside the country. This presents a significant opportunity for international retailers looking to serve the Austrian market.<\/p>\n

At the other end of the spectrum, Malta records the lowest share of cross-border spending, while Germany appears to be highly self-sufficient. Notably, despite being owned by an American corporation, Amazon.de is classified as a domestic player in this context due to its massive local infrastructure and market dominance. This classification underscores that for many consumers, a seamless local experience matters more than the company’s country of origin. For international ecommerce companies, the takeaway is clear: success in Germany requires a deep localization strategy that can compete with the domestic giants.<\/p>\n

What the Shift Toward Retention Means for Online Retailers<\/h2>\n

The core insight from the ECDB and Mastercard analysis is that the battle for ecommerce growth in Central Europe has fundamentally changed. The era of simply adding new users to fuel top-line revenue is giving way to a more sophisticated game<\/a> of increasing lifetime value. This creates a clear set of strategic imperatives for online retailers.<\/p>\n