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Serbia Leads the Market, Montenegro Spends the Most
Serbia remains the largest e-commerce market in the Western Balkans, with online revenues of around €1.06 billion in 2025. It is also projected to grow the fastest, with an annual growth rate of 9.3% through 2029.
At the other end of the spectrum is Montenegro. Its market is much smaller, at roughly €237 million, but it stands out for one reason: spending power. The country has the highest average revenue per user (ARPU) in the region at €1,380, compared to €1,030 in North Macedonia and just €494 in Serbia.
For e-commerce businesses, the takeaway is clear. Market size alone does not tell the full story. Consumer purchasing behaviour and basket value matter just as much.
Online Shopping Is Growing, but the EU Is Still Ahead
The share of people shopping online is rising across all Western Balkan countries, and in several cases faster than in the EU:
- Bosnia and Herzegovina (+22.6 percentage points)
- Montenegro (+20.3 pp)
- North Macedonia (+18.1 pp) recorded the strongest year-on-year growth
Despite this momentum, the region remains well below the EU average. While 76.6% of internet users in the EU shop online, the figure is only 42.4% in Albania and 50.6% in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Serbia and North Macedonia perform best in the region, both exceeding 63%.
For brands and marketers, this points to a market that is still expanding from a low base, with room for growth if structural barriers can be addressed.
Fashion Dominates, Digital Services Lag Behind
Fashion remains the dominant online category across the Western Balkans. More than 90% of Albanian online shoppers bought clothing online in 2024, the highest share in Europe. Cosmetics and wellness products are also strong, especially in Albania, where 71.8% of e-shoppers purchased them online.
In contrast, digital services are still underdeveloped. Online subscriptions, streaming services and digital financial products remain niche. Online banking usage highlights the gap: while 72.4% of EU internet users use internet banking, the figure drops to 18% in Montenegro and 21.5% in Albania.
Source: Ecommerce Macedonia Assocation
Heavy Internet Use, Weak Payment Adoption
One of the region’s biggest contradictions is how intensely people use the internet, but how rarely they pay online. Daily internet usage exceeds 96% in every Western Balkan country, with messaging apps and social networks among the most used in Europe.
However, low trust in online payments keeps cash-on-delivery dominant. This limits automation, increases costs, and slows down cross-border e-commerce. For international sellers, it often means adapting operations or accepting lower efficiency.
Source: Ecommerce Macedonia Assocation
Businesses Lag Behind Consumers
While consumers are increasingly digital, businesses are not keeping pace. Only 27% of companies in the region sell online, and most generate less than 5% of their revenue from e-commerce.
Digital infrastructure is weak. Just 13% of businesses use cloud services, and only 2% report using AI tools. This gap between consumer behaviour and business readiness limits the region’s ability to scale modern e-commerce models.
What This Means for E-commerce Players
The Western Balkans are not yet a mature e-commerce market, but they represent a high-growth region with clear bottlenecks. Payments, logistics, digital trust and business infrastructure remain the main constraints.
For companies that can solve these issues early, especially in payments and delivery, the region offers an opportunity to build a strong position before the market fully matures.
