"In a world of increasingly complex challenges, people are looking to simplify their lives as much as possible so they can focus on the things that matter to each of them. Regular shopping can become quite effort-consuming, and ecommerce is the handy solution that will continue its growth trend this year. We continuously monitor the data and have observed that the adoption of online shopping is closely linked to the implementation of solutions that give people a simpler, personalized and efficient shopping experience. With the help of AI technologies we are constantly improving this experience for our customers at every stage of it, be it in the area of search, navigation, recommendations or flexible payment and delivery solutions," said Irina Pencea, General Manager eMAG Romania, Hungary and Bulgaria.
In 2025, the online shopping experience becomes simpler and more efficient thanks to advanced technologies, flexible services and personalized offers. In this context, eMAG is monitoring five trends with major impact in online shopping this year:
1. Customers are buying more and more categories
Having seen that ecommerce saves them time and money, customers have increasingly moved their regular shopping online and appreciate platforms where they can add products from different categories to the same order, whether for personal use, for the whole family or products from specialized categories such as childcare, derm or pet products. This trend is growing steadily, so the number of customers buying products from at least 6 different categories on eMAG is 21% higher at the start of this year compared to the same period last year.
With more than 28 million offers available from eMAG's range and more than 56,000 sellers active on the Marketplace, customers will continue to diversify their shopping basket thanks to new technologies that help them discover and choose the products they need faster. With this in mind, at eMAG customers have 12 shop-in-shops with the largest ranges of specialized products on the Marketplace, such as Baby Shop, Dermato Shop, Pet Shop, Garden Shop and many more, where they can easily and quickly find products and recommendations for their specific needs.
2. AI technologies are already enhancing the online shopping experience, and customers benefit from recommendations relevant to their needs
As the range available is getting wider and wider, people need to find the products they want quickly. With the help of AI technologies, eMAG recommends relevant products, personalized for each user. When a customer visits a particular item, artificial intelligence automatically suggests similar products, giving them options tailored to their preferences. In the first month of this year, AI generated more than 1.2 million recommendations, helping users more easily discover the best deals for them. At the end of last year, eMAG also launched eMAG SNAP, a visual search tool developed 100% in Romania that allows you to search for a product using a photo instead of words. In the first month after the launch of SNAP, 20% of the products ordered through this feature were first-time products bought on eMAG.
3. Customers will continue to choose innovative and flexible payment solutions for more control over their personal budget
With inflation putting a constant pressure on people's disposable income, solutions offering flexible payments have become increasingly popular with customers as they help them manage their monthly budget more effectively. Currently, three million eMAG customers are eligible for My Wallet - 1 million more than the same period last year - and can opt for solutions with 30-day payment deferment, 4 or 6 interest-free installments or up to 36 fixed installments directly from the platform.
4. Free delivery and extended warranty through Genius will continue to convince customers to move their recurring purchases online
People buy more and more often when they have benefits like free delivery, exclusive offers and extended returns. This trend is reflected in year-to-date stats for Genius, with the average user placing 78 orders across the 4 apps where the service is available - eMAG, Fashion Days, Freshful and Tazz. The figure is more than 10 times higher than a non-subscription customer. Thus, Genius users saved on average over RON 1,000 and gained almost an entire week's worth of time that they would otherwise have spent in stores or on the way to shopping centers. In 2024, the number of eMAG Genius users grew by 60% in Romania. Over one million customers have chosen Genius, which is now available in more than 900 locations, and the upward trend will continue in 2025.
5. People will consume more, but also shop around for the best prices
Romanians are buying more, but they are also increasingly price-conscious and looking for the best deals, whether for everyday products or higher-value purchases. So more and more are turning online, realizing the role of e-commerce in democratizing shopping by giving anyone, anywhere access to the same wide choice and competitive prices. This trend is also reflected in figures from the latest NSI report, which show that the number of people shopping online last year was 2.5% higher in rural areas than in urban areas.
To quickly identify the best prices, on eMAG customers have the Super Price tag, a tool that uses AI technologies to signal the best time to buy. Thanks to it, customers know when is the best time to buy the products they want, and already more than a third of all sales on eMAG are generated by products with this tag. In the coming period, solutions that use technology to organize the offer and simplify the browsing process will continue to influence the online shopping experience.
