GEPOST Study: Romanian E-Shoppers Concerned about Price and Flexible Delivery Options

In 2023, the behavior of Romanian e-shoppers aligned with European trends, characterized by a focus on better prices, simplicity in online purchasing, predictability and flexibility in delivery, as well as return options. These factors largely explain the increasing preference for out-of-home (OOH) deliveries and the expansion of consumer-to-consumer (C2C) platforms, indicating a dynamic shift in Romanian e-shoppers' behavior (a trend already observed across Europe), along with widespread use of social networks. The E-Shopper Barometer 2023, released by DPD Romania, based on a robust methodology involving over 24,000 interviews conducted in 22 countries by Geopost experts, provides detailed insights into the e-commerce market in Romania. Reports for Romania and Europe can be accessed here https://www.dpd.com/ro/en/about-company/responsibility/e-shoppers/

More than half of Romanian e-shoppers (54%) accounted for 90% of last year's online purchases. Specifically, these regular e-shoppers made an average of 14.7 online purchases in 2023 and received an average of 4.2 packages in the last month.

According to the Geopost study, the majority of regular Romanian e-shoppers prefer online shopping to save time (81%, EU average 76%) or to avoid the stress of shopping in malls (71%, EU 66%). They prefer free delivery (36%, EU 41%) and detailed product descriptions (25%, EU 23%). Interestingly, unlike other EU e-shoppers, many Romanians still prefer to pay cash on delivery (21%), which is less important in the rest of the EU (7%).

"The E-Shopper Barometer continues to be a valuable guide to an industry that is maturing and evolving constantly. For Romanian e-shoppers, an important motivation for e-commerce is related to price, including a preference for offers and discounts, as well as for free or low-cost delivery options. This is one of the significant explanations, alongside flexibility, for the increasing preference for OOH deliveries. Another important trend is the preference for C2C commerce, with significant explanations including price, as well as the need for sellers to free up space and generate additional income," said Nadia Talpa, Chief Commercial Officer at DPD Romania.

Price Sensitivity

For 65% of Romanian e-shoppers, like their European counterparts, shopping online primarily means saving money. More specifically, 80% always look for the best deals (EU 69%), 65% seek discounts (EU 53%), and for 70%, price is the most important factor in their purchasing decisions (EU 62%). Less than half of them (49%, EU 39%) are willing to pay more for sustainable products.

Choosing Online Stores

When shopping online, Romanian e-shoppers choose sites they trust (56%, EU average 58%), rely on recommendations from friends or relatives (40%, EU 34%), or respond to paid advertisements on social media (33%, EU 20%).

Top Products

Fashion (63%, EU 58%), Beauty/Health Care (60%, EU 48%), and Footwear (57%, EU 51%) remain the top categories for Romanian e-shoppers in 2023. They are followed by Medications (43%, EU 33%), which saw an 8% increase compared to 2021 (the highest among product categories purchased online in Romania), Books (41%, EU 44%), and Decorations (34%, EU 29%). The largest decrease in preferences among Romanian e-shoppers was recorded for Electronics (33%, EU 28%), down by -6% from 2022 and -11% from 2021, and Jewelry (-5%), a category that drops out of the Top 10 with 31%.

C2C Platforms

Already accounting for 38% of monthly online purchases (EU 44%), C2C commerce is growing in Romania; in fact, 31% of Romanian e-shoppers admit to making second-hand purchases recently (EU 35%). Data shows that 61% of Romanian e-shoppers (EU 72%) are already present in this market either as buyers or sellers. Most are buyers only (52%, EU 58%), while only 29% of Romanian e-shoppers (EU 46%) sell products through C2C platforms. The main reasons Romanians use C2C commerce are financial (61%, EU 65%) or finding products from small producers (30%, EU 25%), and to sell items they no longer use (55%, EU 58%), to free up space (54%, EU 64%), or to make extra money (42%, EU 41%). As for the profile of e-shoppers who sell products on C2C platforms, most are married women (52%, EU 56%), with an average age of 37.9 years (EU 40.5 years), living in urban areas (84%, EU 86%).

Returns

Romanians return items less than they did two years ago, with only 11% of Romanian e-shoppers returning their last online purchase, 8% fewer than in 2021. The European average at this point is 14%. One possible explanation is that only 52% (EU 55%) find the return process simple and easy, compared to 65% in 2021. However, in line with other Europeans, Romanians prefer returns to be free (20%, EU 27%). Most prefer to call the courier to their home (53%, EU 23%), to DPD offices (18%, EU 34%), or lockers (15%, EU 20%).

International Shopping

Romanians are among the Europeans who make the most online purchases from abroad (70% of them have bought from abroad at least once; EU average, 58%) due to better offers (63%, EU 52%) or finding products not available locally (43%, EU 53%), as well as transparent delivery and return options (21%, EU 17%). When shopping abroad, they prefer European websites (77%, EU 73%); online stores in neighboring countries are preferred by only 15% of them (EU 45%). The top countries are China (51%, EU 48%), Germany (36%, EU 28%), and the United Kingdom (26%, EU 24%).

OOH Deliveries

Last year, Romanian e-shoppers, like Europeans, preferred home deliveries (79%, EU 76%), but there was an increasing preference for OOH deliveries: lockers (31%, 10% more than in 2021 and 6% above preferences expressed in 2022), post offices (25%, EU 23%), or delivery points like DPD Office (25%, EU 54%). If we were to create a profile of Romanian e-shoppers who prefer OOH deliveries, most are married women (53%, EU 56%), with an average age of 41.4 years (EU 41.2 years), living in cities (94%, EU 86%), with below-average income (60%, EU 54%), who started shopping online 2-5 years ago (39%, EU 22%).

Social Media

Romanian e-shoppers are among the most active in Europe on social networks, with 90% of those with an account using it for at least one e-commerce-related purpose (the EU average is only 70%). Among them, 68% directly shop from social media (EU 48%), 41% find shopping inspiration on social media (EU 28%), and the same percentage seeks information related to e-shopping (EU 26%).

About DPD Romania

DPD Romania, a courier company, is part of Geopost, the European leader in road deliveries, and has been active in the local market since 2008. It has over 2,200 employees (including franchises) and delivers over 25 million parcels annually. DPD Romania offers the best international delivery solutions, with access to a network of over 100,000 collection points in 23 European countries, and runs an extensive program to support Romanian online stores looking to expand regionally, providing them with fast transit times and the option of cash on delivery in local currency. Locally, the company offers flexible delivery management options, with access to over 750 fixed parcel collection and drop-off points.