Romania Online Retail Shifts to Smaller Baskets and Automation Growth

Romania’s online retail market is growing, but the structure of that growth is changing, with smaller baskets, more frequent orders and rising automation shaping performance in 2025, according to platform data from Gomag.

Quick note

• GMV: +14% to 2.5 billion lei
• Orders: +50% year-on-year
• Average basket: 452 lei (down from 494 lei)
• Monthly traffic: 11.5 million users
• Automation: 250 million interactions per month

Data from more than 5,000 active online stores on the Gomag platform shows that volume growth is outpacing value, indicating a shift in consumer behaviour. Shoppers are placing more orders but spending less per transaction, pointing to a more cautious and controlled purchasing pattern.

The average basket value fell by 42 lei compared to the previous year, reinforcing the trend toward smaller, more frequent purchases. However, promotional periods such as Black Friday continue to drive higher spend per order, with basket values rising above 500 lei during peak events.

Traffic patterns show a clear concentration of activity at the start of the week. Monday remains the busiest day, with peak shopping between 1:00 pm and 3:00 pm, reflecting a mobile-first, convenience-driven buying habit.

Automation is becoming a central operational driver. More than 250 million automated interactions are generated monthly across the Gomag ecosystem, reducing manual workload and improving efficiency across merchandising, CRM and order processing functions.

At the same time, payment behaviour is evolving. Online payments account for 30–35% of transactions in active stores on the platform, while cash on delivery remains dominant at national level. Stores promoting digital payments are seeing higher average order values and lower return rates.

Geographically, demand remains concentrated in major urban centres including Bucharest, Cluj-Napoca and Timișoara, with gradual expansion into smaller cities and surrounding areas.

Category performance varies by season, with fashion, beauty, home and garden, and children’s products driving peaks at different times of the year. Pet-related products continue to show stable demand throughout the year.

The data points to a maturing market where efficiency, automation and conversion optimisation are becoming more important than pure sales volume growth.

Why it matters

The shift in Romania’s online retail market highlights changing consumer behaviour across digital commerce, with implications for supermarkets and FMCG suppliers operating in omnichannel environments.

More frequent, lower-value orders mirror patterns increasingly seen in online grocery, where basket size is under pressure while order frequency rises. This has direct implications for fulfilment models, delivery costs and margin management.

The growing role of automation and digital payments also reflects the need for retailers to streamline operations and reduce friction in the buying journey as competition intensifies.