People from Czechia, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina can become your customers with the help of a product feed file. Using this file you can easily connect your Shopify store to Heureka marketplace, and start selling in these Central and Eastern European countries.
About 30% of merchants who sells online in Central and Eastern Europe expected up to 20% growth in revenue in 2022 compared to 2021.
Approximately 10% of the eCommerce businesses that sell in this region use only online marketplaces, without maintaining their own ecommerce website, according to CEE Survey 2022. Meanwhile, 13% of the respondents reported utilizing both ecommerce websites and marketplaces as channels for sales.
Why region of Central and Eastern Europe is a profitable market for ecommerce
These Central and Eastern European countries have a lucrative ecommerce segment, which only in Czechia, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria is about 32,1 billion U.S. dollars combined in 2022.
These countries collectively represent a population of over 70 million people, providing a significant market for e-commerce businesses. The region is experiencing a rapid growth in e-commerce, with Czechia to be one of the leaders of online shopping growth in the region.
Bosnia and Herzegovina ecommerce market
Statistics on Bosnia and Herzegovina ecommerce market shows that its revenue is projected to reach US$482.80 million in 2023. This is 17.0% increase in comparison to 2022.
The ecommerce market is set to continue its upward trajectory, with an annual growth rate of 10.96% until 2027. By that time, the market volume is projected to reach US$731.80 million.
The number of online shoppers in Bosnia and Herzegovina is expected to reach 1.4m users by 2027. User penetration is also projected to increase from 42.7% in 2023 to 45.8% by 2027.
The average revenue per user (ARPU) is expected to be US$352.10. Overall, the e-commerce market is expected to experience significant growth in the coming years, with increasing revenue, user numbers, and user penetration.
The most revenue on the Bosnia and Herzegovina ecommerce market is generated by the products in Fashion product category. When projecting the revenue growth it is expected that by 2027 the revenue will increase approximately by 40% when compared to values of 2023.
Slightly behind in terms of revenue is Electronics product category. It will demonstrate almost the same growth rate as the Fashion category. However, the revenue growth of Electronics is expected to be marginally lower than the growth rate of Fashion by 2027.
Toys & DIY, Beaty & Health, Food are the next following categories in terms of revenue. Despite the fact that in 2023 the Toys & DIY category demonstrates the highest revenue value of these three categories, and Food category demonstrates the lowest value, by the 2027 all three categories will demonstrate almost identical revenue. This is because the growth rate of Food and Beauty & Health categories will be higher than growth rate of ToyS & DIY.
Furniture and Beverage categories will demonstrate the identical growth rate. That means that by 2027 the Beverages category revenue will similarly be marginally higher than the Furniture revenue, as it is in 2023.
The revenue of Media category will demonstrate small decrease by 2027 when compared to values of 2023.
Bulgaria ecommerce market
Ecommerce market in Bulgaria continues to grow, and it will reach US$1.898 billion in revenue in 2023, demonstrating a 27.9% increase when compared to the previous year.
This market is expected to have an average annual growth rate of 12.94% until 2027, resulting in a projected market volume of US$3.088 billion.
This ecommerce market will reach up to about 4.2m online shoppers by 2027. User penetration is also expected to increase from 53.1% in 2023 to 65.6% by 2027.
The average revenue per user (ARPU) is expected to be US$535.
With the widespread adoption of technology and the ease of use of e-commerce platforms, consumers are increasingly turning to these platforms to make purchases.
The absolute leader in terms of revenue in Bulgaria ecommerce market is Electronics category. Its revenue is up to two times higher than the revenue of Fashion, which is the next product category by revenue in 2023. The revenue of Electronics will grow up to 40% by 2027.
The revenue of Fashion category will continue to be the second largest in Bulgaria ecommerce market. It will also demonstrate a significant growth, however, its growth rate will be lower than the growth rate of Electronics.
Beauty & Health, Food, Toys & DIY, Furniture have almost identical the revenue value. With Beauty & Health revenue marginally higher in 2023 than the revenue of Food category. Food and Toys & DIY in 2023 have identical revenue value. Furniture category demonstrates the lowest revenue in 2023.
By 2027 the positions of these four categories in the revenue rating will completely change. Revenue of Food category will be higher than the revenue of Beauty & Health. The Toys & DIY and Furniture will have slower revenue growth by 2027, making a noticeable revenue gap when compared to the revenue of Food and Beauty & Health categories.
Media category will see virtually no revenue growth in between 2023 and 2027. While Beverages category will demonstrate a small growth in terms of revenue by 2027.
Czechia ecommerce market
The eCommerce market in Czechia is rapidly growing, and that this trend will continue in the coming years. The projected market volume of the eCommerce market has an expected annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.42% from 2023 to 2027, according to Statista. This growth will result in a projected market volume of US$9.07 billion by 2027. Revenue is expected to reach US$6.57 billion in 2023.
The number of users on this eCommerce market is expected to continue to grow, with an estimated 7.4 million users by 2027. The user penetration rate is also expected to increase, with a projected 60.7% in 2023 and an estimated 70.5% by 2027. This growth in user penetration highlights the growing popularity and acceptance of online shopping among consumers.
With average revenue per user (ARPU) of US$1030, the eCommerce market presents a lucrative opportunity for businesses and entrepreneurs looking to capitalize on this trend.
The most popular product categories in 2023 in Czechia are Electrinics and Fashion. They closely follow each other in terms of revenue and it is expected these two categories will continue as the top revenue sector by 2027.
The Beauty, health, personal and household care product category takes the second place by popularity in Czechia with a significantly lower revenue than previous Electronics and Fashion. Toys, hobby and DIY closely follow the Beauty product category in terms of revenue.
Such product categories as Furniture, Food, Beverages and Media are listed accordingly to their yearly revenues. Three of these categories - Furniture, Food, Beverages - are expected to demonstrate growth by 2027. While Media will see virtually no growth - its revenue by 2027 is expected to be almost the same as in 2023.
Croatia ecommerce market
Online sales in Croatia are projected to reach US$1.473 billion in revenue by 2023, representing a significant increase from its current levels. This projection represents an annual growth rate of 11.09%, which is expected to continue until 2027. By that time, the market volume is expected to reach US$2.243 billion.
In terms of user numbers, this e-commerce market is expected to reach 2.7m users by 2027. User penetration is also projected to increase from 64.5% in 2023 to 69.0% by 2027. This indicates that more and more people are turning to e-commerce as a convenient and easy way to shop.
With the average revenue per user (ARPU) approximately of US$569.60 the Croatian e-commerce market is a rapidly growing industry with significant potential for growth in the coming years.
Sales in Electronics product category are generating the most amount of revenue for online shops in Croatia. Revenue in this segment in 2023 is projected to significantly outpace the revenue from the next closest product category. This trend will continue by 2027.
Fashion is the next biggest category in terms of the revenue. By the year 2027 it is projected to increase up to 40% when compared to 2023.
The revenue of such categories as Beauty & Health and Toys & DIY will continue to grow neck to neck. However, while the revenue of Beauty & Health category is projected to be slightly higher than of Toys & DIY, it will be lower by 2027.
Revenue values of Furniture category in Croatia are projected to stay almost in the middle between the revenue of Beauty & Health and Food categories.
The Food, Beverages and Media categories are expected to see a marginal growth by 2027 when compared to 2023. However, the Food and Beverages categories will see more revenue growth than Media by 2027.
Hungary ecommerce market
E-commerce Market Projected to Reach US$2,750.00m in Revenue by 2023
Projected eCommerce revenue in Hungary is expected to reach US$2.75 billion by 2023. This represents an annual growth rate of 12.69%, which is expected to continue until 2027. By that time, the market volume is projected to reach US$4.435 billion.
In terms of user numbers, the Hungarian e-commerce market is expected to reach 5.8m users by 2027. User penetration is also projected to increase from 55.1% in 2023 to 59.8% by 2027.
The average revenue per user (ARPU) is expected to be US$491.
Overall, the Hungarian e-commerce market is poised for significant growth in the coming years, with increasing revenue, user numbers, and user penetration. The continued rise in popularity of online shopping, coupled with advances in technology and the ease of use of e-commerce platforms, is expected to drive the market forward.
In Hungary online shoppers primarily buy products from Electronics category. This product’s category revenue is noticeably higher that other categories. During the 2023-2027 period it also will grow faster than other categories. The revenue in Electronics category is expected to double by 2027 when compared to 2023.
Products from Beauty & Health and Fashion take the second place in terms of ecommerce revenue in Hungary. Their numerical revenue values are almost identical, as is the projected revenue increase by 2027 for both product categories.
Despite Hobby & DIY product category has marginally higher revenue than Furniture in 2023, it is projected that by 2027 revenue of these two categories will be almost identical.
Food and Media product categories demonstrate the lowest level of revenue in 2023, and such situation will continue in the following years. However, the revenue of Food category will be marginally higher than of Media category.
Romania ecommerce market
In Romania the volume of the ecommerce market is US$6.751 billion in terms of revenue in 2023, which is 28.3% higher when compared to previous year. The annual growth rate is 13.19% (CAGR 2023-2027). This will result in a projected market volume of US$11.080 billion by 2027.
This country is also expected to see an increase in the number of users. By 2027, the number of users is expected to amount to 11.1m, with user penetration hitting 51.4% in 2023 and projected to increase to 57.9% by 2027.
Another interesting point is the average revenue per user (ARPU), which is expected to amount to US$660.60.
Overall, the eCommerce market is expected to experience substantial growth in the coming years, with significant potential for businesses to generate revenue.
The absolute leader in terms of revenue in Romania ecommerce market in 2023 is Fashion category. It also will grow faster than other ecommerce categories. The revenue of Fashion category is expected to more than double by 2027 when compared to 2023.
Electronics and Beauty & Health will demonstrate almost identical growth rate in the period of 2023-2027. Revenue of Electronics category is higher in 2023, and it will continue to be higher than the Beauty & Health revenue by 2027.
Toys & DIY revenue will demonstrate a growth of several percent in the period of 2023-2027.
Despite the Food category revenue is marginally higher than the revenue of Furniture category in 2023, it will be the opposite by the 2027.
Beverages and Media categories will demonstrate virtually no growth in between 2023 to 2027.
Serbia ecommerce market
The eCommerce market in Serbia continues to grow rapidly, with projected revenue reaching US$955.7 million in 2023. The revenue will rise up to 34/5% in 2023.
The average annual growth rate is expected up to 14.65% from 2023 to 2027, resulting in a projected market volume of US$1.651 billion by 2027.
The Serbian eCommerce market is expected to have 4.4 million users by 2027, with user penetration set to increase from 56.7% in 2023 to 62.5% in 2027. The average revenue per user (ARPU) is expected to amount to US$235.60.
Fashion and Electronics are two product categories that will demonstrate the fastest growth in Serbia in 2023-2027. Each is expected to have a twofold revenue increase. The Electronics will have visibly lower revenue than Fashion.
Toys & DIY and Beauty & Health in 2023 demonstrate identical revenue, however, Beauty & Health revenue will grow faster than the Toys & DIY revenue. Meaning that by 2027 the Beauty & Health is expected to have higher revenue.
Such categories as Furniture, Food, Media and Beverages have the lowest revenue in 2023. These categories will demonstrate marginal growth, with the Furniture and Media as the categories who have the highest growth of all four by 2027.
Slovakia ecommerce market
According to the Statista industry analysts, revenue in the Slovakia eCommerce market is expected to reach US$2.673 billion in 2023, representing a 22.4% increase from the previous year.
This strong growth trend is expected to continue over the next several years, with a projected annual growth rate (CAGR 2023-2027) of 10.09%. By 2027, the eCommerce market is expected to reach a projected market volume of US$3.927 billion.
By 2027 almost 3.2 million users in Slovakia will be shopping online. This represents user penetration growth from 50.5% in 2023 to 57.0% by 2027.
The average revenue per user (ARPU) in the eCommerce market is expected to be US$914.10, demonstrating the significant revenue potential of this sector.
The sharpest revenue growth in Slovakia eCommerce market during the period of 2023-2027 is expected from Fashion category. Its revenue will rise almost twofold.
The yearly revenue growth of Electronics category will slow down when compared to the growth in the previous year. The Electronics category demonstrated the highest revenue in 2023, however, by 2027 its revenue will be significantly lower that the revenue of Fashion category.
Beauty & Health and Toys & DIY are on the same revenue level in 2023. But their growth rate is expected to be different, and by 2027 the Beauty & Health revenue will be marginally higher than the Toys & DIY revenue.
Food category revenue will grow faster that previous two. The revenue of this category is expected to be marginally lower than the Beauty & Health revenue by 2027.
Revenues of Media and Beverages categories are going neck to neck in 2023, and the trend will continue. However, the Media category revenue will be marginally lower than the Beverages revenue.
Slovenia ecommerce market
The Slovenia eCommerce market continues to thrive with a revenue projection of US$1.077 billion in 2023, reflecting a 23.7% increase in revenue from previous year.
Growth is expected to continue with a projected annual growth rate (CAGR 2023-2027) of 10.78%, leading to a projected market volume of US$1.622 billion by 2027.
The eCommerce market's success can be attributed to the increasing number of users. By 2027, the number of online shoppers in Slovenia is expected to reach 1.2 million, and user penetration is expected to increase from 55.9% in 2023 to 57.2% in 2027.
The average revenue per user (ARPU) is projected to be US$908.70, indicating that users are willing to spend more money on online shopping.
Revenue of Fashion category is highest on this eCommerce market in 2023. It is also extected to have the most sharp growth rate, more than doubling its revenue by 2027.
Electronics is the second category in terms of revenue, and it will have much more modest growth rate. However, it is still expected to be a double digit growth rate.
Toys & DIY and Beaty & Health in 2023 ate projected to demonstrate almost identical level of revenue. However, Beauty & Health revenue will grow faster by 2027.
Food category revenue is marginally lower than the Furniture revenue in 2023, and such trend will continue by 2027. Their growth rate is expected to be almost identical.
Why Heureka marketplace is a great place to sell in Europe
Heureka is a marketplace based in the Czech Republic that operates in several European countries, including the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Hungary, and Romania.
The Heureka web domain is used only in Czechia and Slovakia. In other countries this marketplace operates on local sites: Árukereső.hu (Hungary), Compari.ro (Romania), Pazaruvaj.com (Bulgaria), Ceneje.si (Slovenia), Jeftinije.hr (Croatia), Ideal.rs (Serbia), Ideally.ba (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
This online platform that connects consumers with a wide range of retailers and helps shoppers find the best deals on products such as electronics, fashion, home and garden items, and more. Heureka allows consumers to compare prices and products from different retailers and provides reviews and ratings from other customers to help shoppers make informed purchasing decisions.
In addition to its marketplace, Heureka also provides marketing and advertising services to retailers and other businesses, helping them reach and engage with potential customers across its platform and other marketing channels.
Registering on Heureka Marketplace is free, and there is no subscription fees. Merchants pay commission for each successful order; fees for canceled or returned order are not paid.
According to the company's website, Heureka serves over 23 million users per month, with an estimated annual revenue of $15.0M - $25.0M.
As per SimilarWeb, the Heureka.cz was ranked in the top-20 local sites and it was ranked #1 site in eCommerce in the Czech Republic. Heureka.cz serves 20 million visitors monthly. Potential shoppers view 5.15 pages per visit.
The Heureka.sk has a country rank of #19, and #1 in eCommerce. It serves about 7.2 million visitors monthly with the average 5.28 of viewed pages per visit.
Hungarian Árukereső.hu revenue is estimated as $5.0M - $10.0M annually. This web site serves 17.4 million visitors monthly, having a #17 country rank and #1 in eCommerce. On average visitors open 4.64 product pages.
Heureka’s Romanian Compari.ro web site serves 4.3 million visitors monthly, with an average 3.12 viewed pages per visit. It has a #77 country rank, and #1 rank in eCommerce category.
In Bulgaria Heureka’s Pazaruvaj.com web site serves 3.2 million visitors per month with an average of 3.96 pages viewed per visit. This local marketplace is #60 in country rank, and #1 in eCommerce category rank.
The Ceneje.si web site, which Heureka uses to operate in Slovenia, has an estimated $2.0M - $5.0M in revenue annually. It is #43 in country rank and #5 in eCommerce rank. It is used by 1.5 million visitors monthly, who look at 3.26 pages per visit.
The Croatian Jeftinije.hr serves 2.2 million visitors monthly with 2.8 viewed pages per visit. This ecommerce marketplace is #65 in country rank and #1 in eCommerce category rank.
In Serbia the Heureka Group operates the Ideal.rs marketplace. It serves less than 5000 visitors monthly. Ideally.ba, which is operated in Bosnia and Herzegovina, is similarly a small-sized web site.
How to start selling on Heureka
The general algorithm on how to get orders on Heureka is simple:
- prepare your product feed
- register as a merchant on Heureka
- upload your products to Heureka
- get new orders from shoppers in Central and Eastern Europe
Now, let’s walk each of these steps in details.
Step 1. Create a Heureka product feed in Mulwi app
Mulwi app uses an XML product feed file to connect your Shopify store to Heureka marketplace.
Install Mulwi app
To access the Mulwi app page on the Shopify app store, go to Apps in your Shopify admin and search for Mulwi. Another option is to use a direct link to the Mulwi app, which is available at https://apps.shopify.com/omega-shopping-feeds.
To install the app in your Shopify store, simply click on the option that says Add app.
Launch a Heureka product feed
Access the Mulwi App in your Shopify admin and ensure that the app interface is switched to product feeds.
Click Add feed and then click Show all feeds. Choose the marketplace from the list of available. In our case its Heureka.
Provide a Feed Internal Name for your Heureka product feed. This name is used to display the feed in the list of feeds your store uses.
Click Save to continue configuring the feed.
After you click Save for the first time, the Mulwi app will generate a link to the product feed file.
Write down the Feed URL provided by the Mulwi app. Paste this URL in your Heureka merchant account.
You may use the default template for Heureka product feed, or click the Customized Feed button to edit the default template according to your needs. For example, to convert the currency of your store to Czech Koruna or Euro.
Fill the data in the following tabs:
1. General
- Feed Internal Name. This is the name you will see in the list of feed you have created with Mulwi app.
- Status. Set to Active to enable feed uploading to marketplace.
- Stock Location. Choose your warehouse that will supply products you include in this feed.
- Exported file.
- Max Number of Items per File. Leave Unlimited since Heureka does not set a limit on product number per feed file.
- Compression. Leave as None since Heureka does not require for the feed file to be ZIP archived.
- Translation. Choose the language you want your product titles, descriptions, etc. to be translated to. You need to enable the translation functionality in Mulwi app settings for this option to work.
- Applied Filters. Enable filters that should be used by Mulwi app when deciding if the product should be included in the product feed. Read on using filters with a Mulwi guide on filters. For example, you may want to include only products that are in stock and are immediately available for sale.
2. Attributes
This tab has no configurable options for Heureka.
3. Google Analytics
Track clicks on your products with the Google Analytics. Add the following UTM codes:
- Campaign Source
- Campaign Medium
- Campaign Name
Step 2. Create a merchant account on Heureka
Start on Heureka with creating your merchant account and registering your Shop on this marketplace.
Navigate to heureka.group page and fill the registration form. Provide the data on you and your store: you name, email and telephone number, store name and its URL.
You will receive further registration instructions when Heureka managers process your registration application.
Add your billing info
On the sluzby.heureka.cz navigate to PPC a správa kreditu > Historie plateb a faktury and fill you billing info.
Configure your Heureka Pay Per Click commission
On page PPC a správa kreditu > Dobití kreditu buy credits for the Heureka Pay Per Click service commission.
Next, navigate to Bidding > Price-per-click settings and set the amount of money per product section that you are willing to pay per user.
Step 3. Connect your product feed to Heureka
On the sluzby.heureka.cz navigate to Nastavení > Informace o e-shopu > URL XML souboru. Paste here the URL to your product feed that you wrote down previously.
Scroll the page down and click Editovat e-shop to save changes.
Add conversion measurement
In order for Heureka to accurately track your conversions you need to add a tracking code snippet on the last page of the order process on your web store.
Get the code snippet on tab Statistiky a reporty > Měření konverzí.
Track your sales on Heureka
Navigate to Statistiky a reporty > Statistiky to see your sales statistics on Heureka.
On tab Přehled o výkonu a nákladech you can download in CSV format a more detailed report on your Heureka sales statistics. This report will tell you:
- revenues from individual products
- costs of individual products
- breakdown of costs for bidding and CPC price lists
- conversion of individual products
Common errors with product feed on Heureka
Products are not showing
Check whether you are really sending to Heureka a product that is not showing in your XML product feed file. Navigate to tab Přehled spárovanosti to see the status of your products. If it is čekající na schválení (pending approval), it will be included in the regular classification and you simply need to wait.
In the case of status blokace kategorie či produktu (category or product blocking), check that the product and category naming is correct. For example, the name of the perfumes must contain the designation (men's, women's) and type (EDT, EDP, etc.). Alternatively, the product name is too long - Heureka supports product names up to 200 characters.
Refer to Heureka manual for product naming The similar blocked error will be shown when Heureka could not find a category match on Heureka.cz from the category name in the product feed file. Check whether your products in the feed are within the list of Heureka.cz categories.
Use the category mapping functionality in Mulwi app to match categories of your store with the categories of Heureka.
Shipping price is missing
The shipping price can be set in two ways, either through the Heureka.cz admin page interface on tab Nastavení > Ceny dopravy or in your product feed XML file. In the last case the the shipping price tag in the XML file should be set through the Delivery tag .
Shipping Unknown displayed
Some categories on Heureka display the shipping price based on the weight of the product. These are categories where there are products of different weights or products weighing more than 30 kg. See the full list of categories that display shipping price based on product weight.
If you see the Unknown shipping status for products in these categories you need to include in your product feed file the product weight. Use the Param tag for this purpose. Alternatively, you may send the shipping prices via the Delivery tag.
Summary
Tap into the thriving online market in Central and Eastern Europe with the help of a product feed file and Heureka marketplace. With an expected up to 20% growth in revenue in 2022, this region presents a significant opportunity for expansion.
The Heureka platform offers services to help retailers and businesses reach their target audience in Czechia, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina. With over 23 million users per month, Heureka is the go-to destination for shoppers in these European countries.
Use this article to know more on the ecommerce market in Czechia, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2023 and its expected values by 2027.
And with a step-by-step guide you will quickly setup your merchant account on Heureka and connect your Shopify store to get additional orders on this marketplace.
