E-commerce growth in the Balkans is reshaping the regional economy, with Amazon actively helping small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) expand across borders.
Earlier this year, Amazon participated in the Balkan E-Commerce Summit 2025 in Sofia, the largest gathering of online businesses in the region which attracted over 2,300 participants from 23 countries. Industry leaders, experts and entrepreneurs explored how technology combined with logistics and consumer behaviour transforms commerce across Central and Eastern Europe (CEE).
During the summit, we met hundreds of sellers from Bulgaria, Romania, Greece and Hungary, offering guidance on business expansion through Amazon. Amazon teams participated in the event, covering key topics such as operational troubleshooting, Fulfilment by Amazon (FBA), deals management and account support.
Numbers clearly support this momentum: according to the CEE E-Commerce Survey 2024, the regional e-commerce sector will reach €124 billion this year, growing 12% year-over-year. Cross-border commerce is growing even faster at a 15% pace annually, expected to reach €24 billion. [1]
Several countries demonstrate significant potential:
- Greece leads regional digital penetration with 7.87% e-GDP, doubling e-commerce turnover to €18.2 billion since 2019. [2]
- Hungary's online retail sector expects to reach €5.6 billion in 2024, supported by 91% internet penetration and 64% e-shopper share. [3]
- Bulgaria's B2C turnover grew steadily from €0.9 billion to €2.34 billion over the span of five years. [4]
These trends highlight the importance of regional sellers expanding globally, a process we actively facilitate. We’re empowering 127,000 EU sellers [5] to reach millions of customers worldwide through initiatives like Export Central and tailored local support.
At the summit, sellers expressed strong interest in expanding into Western Europe through Amazon's international services, utilizing FBA, brand-building features and targeted advertising to reach broader audiences. The direct interactions with both new and existing sellers confirm the enthusiasm:
“I was very thoroughly pleased and impressed by being able to meet Amazon in my home country of Bulgaria. It was a pleasure to be invited by Amazon to local e-commerce initiatives and speak with their representatives. Now, I’m thrilled to enroll into the SAS programme with Bulgarian support!” said ProgressFactory, a Bulgarian Seller.
This in-person interaction shows our presence at the summit was valuable in building trust and encouraging sellers to explore international expansion opportunities through its platforms.
From Sofia to the broader CEE region, we continue to support digital commerce growth by offering services, tools, and resources to help businesses reach customers across Europe, by continuing to invest in relationships, infrastructure and especially seller success.
[1] https://balkanecommerce.com/e24-billion-and-rising-cee-regions-cross-border-commerce-shows-no-signs-of-slowing-in-2024/
[2] https://balkanecommerce.com/magazine/#flipbook-df_11521/9/
[3] https://balkanecommerce.com/magazine/#flipbook-df_11521/9/
[4] https://balkanecommerce.com/magazine/#flipbook-df_11521/7/
[5] https://www.aboutamazon.eu/news/empowering-small-business/european-smes-thrive-on-amazon-more-than-15-billion-in-export-sales-in-2024
