Online commerce is gaining momentum in Romania both at the urban and rural levels, according to the data of the National Institute of Statistics (INS) published in the report “Population access to information and communication technology in 2023″, analyzed by ARMO. Face from the previous year, in 2023 the share of people who ordered goods or services on the Internet increased in urban areas by 2.2 percentage points, to 73.7%, and in rural areas by 3.1 percentage points, reaching 61, 4%. Thus, the gap between the village and the city was reduced to 12.3 percentage points, compared to 13.2 points in 2022.
Customers shopped online primarily for clothing and footwear, including sporting goods, as well as cosmetics and leisure products. More specifically, 8 out of 10 people aged 16-74 who used e-commerce in the last 3 months for personal interest ordered clothing (including sportswear), and 29.1% bought cosmetics, beauty and relaxation products.
Among rural buyers, there are more people who have purchased their clothing online in the last 3 months (80.8%), while among urban buyers this percentage is lower, respectively 78.9%. Also, cleaning and personal hygiene products are more sought after by those from rural areas (18.2%), compared to those from urban areas, a percentage of 16.2%. These data show us that through e-commerce the level of quality of life increases in the rural environment, these people being offered access to products of the same quality as those in the urban environment, even in the absence of physical stores.
Online shopping is starting to no longer take age into account either. In 2023, the people who used the services of online stores to buy goods or services were both young people aged between 16 and 34 (80.5%), and adults aged between 35 and 54 (74 .0%).
INS data also show that in 2023 the internet was accessed to order goods or services by over 67.0% of men, while the share of women who accessed the internet to order or buy goods or services was 69.1 %. Women and men have different preferences in terms of the products they buy online, but they equally prefer delivery services from restaurants, fast food or catering.
Of the total number of people aged 16–74 who used the Internet in the last 12 months, 50.9% made orders and purchases online in the last 3 months, 29.8% in the period between 3 months and one year and 19, 3% more than a year ago.
The top products purchased by women
1. clothes, footwear and accessories (86,4%)
2. cosmetics and beauty products, leisure (43,1%)
3. cleaning and personal hygiene products (23,7%)
4. printed books, magazines or newspapers (16,0%);
The top products purchased by men
1. clothes, footwear and accessories(71,6%);
2. sports items (24,9%);
3. electronic products or home appliances (19,2%);