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Going abroad doesn’t have to mean starting with popular markets like the U.K, U.S, Germany, or France.
As sellers, ever greater in numbers, are getting tired on the mainstream battlefield, small Eastern European countries like Romania are quietly setting on fire in a less noisy way.
Chapter 1 The E-Commerce Market in Romania is Getting Hotter
Romania is becoming impossible to ignore on the e-commerce map of Eastern Europe.
Romanian e-commerce is growing quickly – soon it will become one of the primary drivers of the local economy, if it isn’t there already, AMZ123 says. According to 2024 European E-commerce Report data, Romania's e-commerce market is worth 11.7 billion euros, or 3.4% of total GDP.
In Central and Eastern Europe, the scale of the country’s e-commerce ranks third, behind Poland and the Czech Republic, and is moving quickly into the first division of regional online consumption.
As the market continues to grow, so too are the burgeoning online shopping habits of local consumers.
In 2024, 72.9% of internet users had bought goods or services over the internet, according to the Romanian National Institute of Statistics (INS). Meanwhile, the household internet penetration rate increased to 88.6%, 2.9 percentage points higher than in the previous year, creating a bigger base for e-commerce penetration.
It is also worth noting that Romania’s e-commerce penetration is picking up pace, reaching small towns and rural areas.
- Rural online shoppers: 67.3%, up 5.9 percentage points year-on-year
- Urban residents: 77.1%, up 3.4%
👉 This means e-commerce is moving out from the cities and becoming a mass-market again.
From the perspective of overall consumption preference, clothing, shoes, and accessories remain the hottest category (78.6%), indicating stable demand for basic and high-frequency goods.
Although market heat grows and grows, Romania’s e-commerce ecosystem is still at its “growth stage” — precisely the best timing for new sellers to enter.
- Platform density is still low, the dominance of big players hasn’t formed yet, and traffic is more balanced.
- Fulfillment networks are under accelerated construction, especially in small towns and non-core areas where logistics still have gaps.
👉 For FBE-model sellers, this means fulfillment advantage can be turned into faster sales and stronger differentiation.
Therefore, for Chinese sellers, such a market that is “not yet saturated with competition and still open to optimization” provides flexibility and trial space. Pre-positioning inventory, lowering prices, and offering diverse products could make Romania a friendly stepping-stone market for international growth.
Part 2 How to Open the Romanian Market Properly
Beyond market dividends, sellers must also adapt their tactics to local conditions.
Romania’s online consumption is booming like an early-stage online market, not yet mature like Western Europe. User behavior, platform ecology, and logistics conditions are still evolving. Whether you can keep pace with local rhythm determines if your model can succeed.
Localized Understanding Comes First
To open up a market, it’s more important to know its consumers than its laws.
According to BCG’s 2025 European Consumer Confidence Survey, Romanian consumers are:
- Highly price-sensitive
- Prefer promotions
- Value practicality
- 76% of consumers: actively look for discounts in categories such as clothing and appliances
- 55% of consumers: would switch from familiar brands if promotions are attractive enough
👉 This means promotions are not only for conversion, but also a way to shift brand loyalty.
This matches perfectly with Chinese sellers’ strengths: pricing strategies + frequent product launches.
Moreover, while Romania’s online penetration is still below the European average, delivery habits are clear:
- Consumers prefer home delivery or parcel locker pickup
- For FMCG categories, expectations for next-day delivery are growing
Sustainability matters too:
- 57% consider sustainability in shopping
- Only 16% are willing to pay more for it
👉 So, “eco-friendly” can be a bonus, but price and value remain the true drivers.
You Can Track the Source of Product Selection Ideas
Discount-driven behavior impacts nearly all categories in Romania.
- Home appliances: 71% wait for promotions
- Furniture: 68% wait for promotions
- Personal care/beauty: above EU average preference for promotions
👉 Price has become the core driver of purchase decisions.
This means in categories where Chinese sellers have supply chain advantages (appliances, furniture, beauty, personal care), aligning offers with local psychology of “price + variety + promotions” enables faster sales growth.
At the same time, “brands” are being redefined:
- Penetration of platform brands or unbranded products is rising
- About 30% of consumers say they would buy unbranded or self-labeled products
👉 For Chinese sellers, this lowers entry barriers and offers more flexibility for trial and error.
🚀 Recommendation: Supercharge Your Entry with Windingflow
Breaking into a market like Romania means more than just low prices — you need efficiency, automation, and scalability.
This is where Windingflow comes in:
- 🔄 Automated product data sync
- 📦 Smart order processing
- 📊 Real-time inventory tracking
- 🌍 Cross-border logistics integration
With Windingflow, sellers can reduce manual work, avoid errors, and scale operations faster — freeing up time to focus on strategy and growth.
👉 Entering emerging markets like Romania is easier when you have Windingflow as your automation partner.
