Germany Leads Central Europe, but Smaller Markets Grow Faster

For European retailers considering where to expand, that creates a different map of the region. Germany offers volume; several less mature markets offer higher growth rates.

Germany Will Account For 57% of Regional Revenue

No country comes close to Germany in absolute e-commerce sales. ECDB expects the German market to generate €118.7 billion in 2026, representing more than 57% of Central European e-commerce revenue.

Its influence extends beyond domestic sales. Otto, Zalando, About You, Kaufland, and MediaMarkt all originated in Germany and have built businesses across national borders.

Austria and Switzerland have developed alongside this ecosystem. Both already have high levels of online shopping, putting them closer to Germany than to the less mature markets elsewhere in the region.

That makes the German-speaking part of Europe commercially important, but it also changes the type of opportunity available. A large proportion of retail activity has already moved online.

Poland Combines Size With an 8.9% Growth Rate

Poland looks different. Its e-commerce market is valued at $31.2 billion, making it the fourth largest in the region. ECDB puts annual growth at 8.9%, while e-commerce accounts for 10.5% of the market.

That combination separates Poland from both Germany and smaller fast-growing countries.

The country is also home to Allegro, one of Central Europe’s largest domestic marketplaces. Poland therefore has enough scale to sustain its own platform ecosystem rather than relying entirely on businesses entering from larger neighboring economies.

For international retailers, its size also makes Poland a possible starting point for expansion into markets further east.

Greece Records the Fastest Growth of the Three

Greece has a much smaller e-commerce sector, worth $9.7 billion, but its growth rate reaches 10.9%. Online sales currently represent 9.1% of the market.

Greek consumers already spend a relatively high share of their online budgets with retailers abroad, according to separate ECDB data.

The numbers create an interesting contrast. Cross-border sellers are already capturing part of Greek online demand, while the domestic e-commerce market remains less developed than those of Europe’s mature economies.

Hungary shows a similar gap between current online adoption and growth. Its market is valued at $4.7 billion and is expanding by 7.7%. Yet only 8% of the market is online. In absolute terms Hungary is much smaller than Poland, but its growth puts it alongside the faster-moving markets in the region.

Smaller Markets Do Not Automatically Grow Faster

Slovakia and Slovenia show why low market size or moderate online penetration alone does not guarantee rapid expansion.

Slovak e-commerce is growing by 6.7%, while Slovenia records growth of 4.4%. Their populations are also limited: Slovakia has roughly 5.5 million inhabitants, and Slovenia around 2.1 million.

Cross-border shopping accounts for a notable share of demand in both countries. Foreign retailers receive roughly a quarter of Slovenia’s online spending and close to a fifth of Slovakia’s.

The two countries are not in exactly the same position, however. Slovenia’s online share is expected to move slightly above those of Poland, Greece and Hungary by 2026. Its lower growth rate therefore comes alongside a more developed online market.

Slovakia remains closer to the lower-penetration group, while combining that position with a small domestic customer base and substantial spending at foreign retailers.

One Region, Very Different Expansion Opportunities

The ECDB figures make it difficult to treat Central Europe as a single e-commerce opportunity.

Germany remains the obvious choice for businesses prioritising revenue potential. Poland offers something different: a $31.2 billion market that is still growing at 8.9%. Greece and Hungary are smaller again, but they record higher growth, while less than 10% of their respective markets are online.

For retailers assessing the region, the practical distinction is between current scale and the pace at which online sales are still developing. On those two measures, the countries attracting attention are no longer necessarily the same ones.