October 23 (SeeNews) - The value of online commerce in Romania is expected to grow by 30% year-on-year to 3.6 billion euro ($4.1 billion) in 2018, the Romanian Online Shops Association (ARMO) said on Tuesday.
"Online commerce in Romania is following an upward trend, but the legislation is obsolete which may hinder its development in today's global context," ARMO executive director and chief technology advisor at European eCommerce and Omni-Channel Trade Association (EMOTA), Florinel Chis, said.
That is why it is necessary to update the domestic legislation that existed before Romania's entry into the European Union to the European directives currently in force to ensure that Romanian and international traders operate in similar conditions, Chis added.
According to the Romanian statistical office, the country has a population of approximately 19.5 million, of whom 12.6 million are in the age bracket of 16-65 years, and 11 million are Internet users.
According to results of a Kantar Millward Brown 2018 study quoted by ARMO, there are 8.28 million e-shoppers registered in Romania.
As many as 38% of Romanians have made online shopping at least once in the last 12 months and this percentage is higher than in other European countries such as Greece (36%), Portugal (36%), Italy (34%), Croatia (29%) and Bulgaria (26%).
The number of active online stores in Romania doubled from 7,000 in 2017 to 14,000 today. It is estimated that in 2019 their number will grow by about 7% to some 15,000 active online stores, the study showed.
Sales of fashion, home and deco, toys, home and garden, children's products have high growth potential in the coming years.
According to Kantar Millward Brown's 2018 study, 57.3% of all online purchases this year in Romania have been made using a mobile device.
Launched in 2010, the Romanian Online Shops Association (ARMO) represents the online stores in Romania.
($=0.8713 euro)