PayU: Romanian e-commerce in 2014 – higher monthly basket, mobile payments and alternative payment methods

A PayU study for Romanian market shows that e-commerce maintains the accelerated growth rhythm,with around 70 online orders with a total value of over RON 10,000 being placed every minute. According to PayU’s data, the number of online transaction grew by 30% of orders paid by clients to Romanian online stores during the first 5 months of the year.

In this context, the main trends in the industry announce important changes in online consumers’ consumption habits 

Compared to the last 3 years, when the value of the basked decrease as an effect of the diversification of the range of products bough online, during the first five months of the current year, its value increased by 20% compared to the same period in 2013. The most important developments were posted by sectors like Tourism, Toys, IT&C and fashion, where the medium order increased by 52%, 25% and, respectively, 12%.

The evolution posted by all segments show an increase of users trust in online stores and understanding the benefits of online shopping, as the Shopping Experience Rank study, released during e-Romaneste campaign, also showed. The evolution of some segments like toys, where the medium value surpasses even the one from fashion and gets close to IT&C, is another way we can figure out that online buys aren’t an exception, but became an part in the life of more and more people. After all, on monthly basis, within PayU system, are registered on average over 30,000 new unique users, most of them reaching to be recurrent usersCristina Vranceanu, Strategic Partnerships Executive PayU Romania.

The accelerated growth for sales made via tablets or smartphones is reflecting in Romanian e-commerce, where around 20% of orders are placed from such devices. Half of them are also paid online, also via a smartphone or tablet.

The segment with the highest percentage of online payments made via a mobile phone is the one occupied by fashion stores, where it reaches to 15%, but the highest evolution was registered on segments like  telecom (from 2% in 2013 to 8% in 2014) and utilities (from 0,71% in 2013 to 6% in 2014).

In the same time with the evolution in transactions numbers made via mobiles, the adoption of alternative payments methods also grows. Rate cards, that are more and more used during the last year and a half, continued to grow in payments preferences, by 10% per month, while the number of transactions paid via iTranfer – PayU’s exclusive payment method via internet banking with instant confirmation – grows by 30% every month