The analysis was based on data recorded by more than 1,500 local online stores and the comparison took into account the online stores that had operations both in 2022 and in 2021.
On a monthly basis, purchasing behavior fluctuated between highly cautious in March, after the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, when transactions increased by 5%, to exuberant in May, when the evolution reached 30% for transactions.
Buyers’ interest in online purchases has remained high and continues to grow, also due to merchants’ efforts to attract them through better and better conditions, according to Arthur Radulescu, CEO and founder of MerchantPro. When it comes to all online stores that use the MerchantPro e-Commerce platform, including those that started their activity on the platform in 2022, orders worth almost EUR250 million were placed in 2022. The average order was EUR56, 12% above the EUR50 level in 2021.
“In 2022, several large stores, with complex activity and a large number of transactions, migrated to the MerchantPro platform. To determine the trend at market level, we excluded these stores. If we take them into account, the value increase was 50% at platform level. Currently, the MerchantPro platform supports approximately 4% of the local online commerce,” added Arthur Radulescu.
The trends that stand out in 2023, after a year of market consolidation in 2022, target investments in automation, including for the integration and adoption of artificial intelligence solutions, and in boosting the performance of stores in terms of visitors, at storefront level. Online stores aim to improve the experience of website visitors, with an immediate effect on the conversion rate and sales.