Croatia, e-commerce and logistics

With its stunning coastline and vibrant heritage, Croatia attracts thousands of visitors to its shores every year.

But how does it fare on e-commerce? Let’s find out.

Image of Pula Arena in Croatia

Why croatia?

Croatia boasts picturesque coastlines, a strong cultural heritage and renowned Mediterranean cuisine, making it an attractive destination for tourism. It also has a strong economy, boosted by manufacturing sectors such as shipbuilding, food processing and pharmaceuticals. Since 2013, the country has benefited from EU membership, receiving financial support for the development of infrastructure and business incentives. 1

Since joining the EU, e-commerce has been steadily growing. It is now the 70th largest market in the world, placing it ahead of Iceland. 2

Similarly to other countries, the COVID 19 pandemic brought a surge in online retail in Croatia and was the catalyst for many shoppers shifting to e-commerce. This trend is expected to continue as many retailers have already developed e-commerce platforms. Market data firm Statista projects that e-commerce in Croatia will show an annual growth rate of 10.4% by 2027. 3

  • 1.25 billion USD
    E-commerce revenue in Croatia
  • 7.2%4
    Share of e-commerce in Croatia’s retail sales

The e-commerce landscape

Croat consumers are becoming more and more familiar with the concept of online shopping. A survey conducted by The Association E-commerce Croatia in 2020 found that 61% of internet users had made at least one online purchase, while 36% of surveyed people purchased online each month. 21% of buyers used credit cards to pay for their online orders. 5

Smartphone payments are also growing in popularity. Market research in 2021 indicated that more than 98% of young people in Croatia access the internet through smartphones, and mobile phones are expected to be the most common device used for online purchases. 6

In 2022, fashion items were the most widely purchased items online, accounting for around a quarter of annual e-commerce orders. Electronics and home improvement products followed. The largest value of purchases tends to be for home and garden, automotive and electronic goods.

When it comes to demographics, Croatian e-commerce users tend to be young and well educated. According to Statistica only 10% of 51–61-year-olds were e-commerce users in 2023. 63% of the population with tertiary education purchased goods online, while only 2% of Croatians with elementary school as their highest level of education shopped online. 7

Croatia: projected e-commerce market revenue 2018-2029

Revenue in million U.S dollars

Opportunities

Cross-border shopping is an increasingly popular concept in Croatia. An estimated 40% of shoppers order from stores outside of the country, mostly China and the EU. Shoppers tend to purchase electronics, clothing, shoes, fashion accessories and food from other countries. The most popular e-commerce platforms in Croatia are Amazon, eBay and AliExpress. 8

Native advertising – ads integrated with the content and style of the web page – is growing in popularity. An estimated 80% of Croatian companies advertise by email, while 80% of online retailers use Facebook as their advertising channel. Facebook is the most widespread social media platform, followed by Instagram and LinkedIn. Twitter is prevalent among politicians and journalists. Snapchat and YouTube also have a lot of active, younger users, and the Chinese platform TikTok is quickly gaining popularity. 9

Logistics

Croatia has a number of ports, including cargo ports, passenger ports and ports with specialisations. The government has also invested in infrastructure projects to improve the country’s performance, including intermodal transhipment infrastructure and the expansion of railroad lines serving European corridors.

You can familiarise yourself with the weights and prices of sending a package to Croatia using our helpful shipping rates chart.

Keep in mind

As of July 1, 2021, changes were introduced to the way that VAT is charged on online sales, whether consumers buy from traders within or outside the European Union. Prior to these changes, goods imported into the European Union valued at less than 22 euro by non-EU companies were exempt from VAT. This exemption has now been lifted so that VAT is charged on all goods entering the European Union – just like for goods sold by EU businesses.

What our experts say:

“The e-commerce market is growing in Croatia. With plenty of opportunity and a healthy interest in purchasing overseas, there is much potential for e-commerce companies.”

Ben Bagnulo, CEO, SAMOS

To find out more about how SAMOS can help you achieve fast and cost-effective deliveries to Croatia. get in touch today

1. https://www.trade.gov/country-commercial-guides/croatia-ecommerce

2. https://ecommercedb.com/markets/hr/all

3. https://www.statista.com/topics/12022/e-commerce-in-croatia/#topicOverview

4. https://www.statista.com/topics/12022/e-commerce-in-croatia/#topicOverview

5. https://ecommerce.hr/

6. https://www.trade.gov/country-commercial-guides/croatia-ecommerce

7. https://www.statista.com/topics/12022/e-commerce-in-croatia/#topicOverview

8. https://www.trade.gov/country-commercial-guides/croatia-ecommerce

9. https://www.trade.gov/country-commercial-guides/croatia-ecommerce