Croatia, e-commerce and logistics
Croatia attracts thousands of visitors to its shores every year.
But how does it fare on e-commerce? What is the cheapest way to send a parcel from the UK to places like Zagreb, Split, Rijeka, Osijek, Zadar and more? And what is the best way to ensure your deliveries get there fast? Let’s find out.
Why ship to 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
- 1.18 billion USD
- E-commerce revenue in Croatia
- 7.2%
- Share of e-commerce in Croatia’s retail sales
[Stats taken from: https://www.statista.com/topics/12022/e-commerce-in-croatia/#topicOverview]
The e-commerce landscape
E-commerce is still a developing market in Croatia, and its revenue is projected to increase dynamically over the following years. The coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic brought a surge in online retail, and an increasing share of customers shifted to e-commerce.
In Croatia, online stores selling clothing items had the highest monthly sales in 2025, estimated at approximately 781 million U.S. dollars. In 2024, online shopping was the most popular with millennials, as nearly 65% of them had made online purchases over the past six months. In comparison, this figure totaled 56% in the case of generation Z.
According to Croatian e-commerce users in 2024, free shipping and the ability to choose the exact delivery location were the most important factors concerning package delivery. Most online shoppers preferred their parcels delivered to their doorstep, and parcel lockers were the second most popular option. The number of parcel lockers has been steadily growing in the country. While in 2021, only 155 parcel lockers could be found in the country, mainly operated by the Croatian Post, by 2024, other providers strengthened their position on the market and the number of parcel lockers reached nearly 2,000. 4
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. 5
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. 6
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://www.trade.gov/country-commercial-guides/croatia-ecommerce
6. https://www.trade.gov/country-commercial-guides/croatia-ecommerce