The Hungarian e-commerce market continued to expand in the first half of 2026. In the first quarter, it grew by 14.2% compared to the same period of the previous year, while the number of online shoppers reached 4.4 million. During the second quarter, Hungarian consumers completed 25.8 million online transactions, and total online retail spending approached HUF 535 billion (gross), according to the latest data from the PwC Digital Commerce Overview, published jointly with the Digital Commerce Association of Hungary. Today's Hungarian consumers expect a seamless experience throughout the entire purchasing journey, from payment and delivery to product returns. As a result, the coordinated performance of sales, logistics, and payment solutions has become increasingly critical. In an increasingly competitive market, service quality and customer experience are now among the most important differentiating factors for e-commerce businesses.
Consumer Activity Continued to Grow
According to the latest Digital Commerce Overview, published jointly by the Digital Commerce Association of Hungary and PwC, cross-border commerce accounted for nearly one-fifth of the Hungarian e-commerce market's turnover in the first half of 2026. Between January and March, the online market expanded by 14.2% year-on-year, while the number of online shoppers reached 4.4 million. In the second quarter, Hungarian consumers completed 25.8 million online transactions, representing close to 10% growth compared to the same period a year earlier. As the average basket value remained largely unchanged during the first six months of the year, overall market turnover grew at a similar pace of around 10%. Gross online retail sales exceeded HUF 422 billion in the second quarter alone. Cross-border e-commerce contributed an additional HUF 113 billion to the market, bringing Hungarian consumers’ total online retail spending to nearly HUF 535 billion.
“The evolution of order volumes is particularly noteworthy: in the second quarter of 2026, despite the spring season, transaction volumes remained at the same level as the 2025 year-end Christmas peak season. This clearly demonstrates the increasingly important role of online shopping in consumers’ everyday purchasing habits.”
The Market Began Responding Even Before the July Customs Changes
The introduction of the European Union’s new customs regulations on 1 July significantly reshaped the market by mid-2026. The new rules aim to reduce the competitive advantage previously enjoyed by low-value shipments arriving from outside the EU and to create a more level playing field for European retailers.
According to PwC’s e-commerce transaction data for the second quarter, consumer demand had already started to adjust before the regulations officially came into effect. The number of parcels arriving from outside the European Union, primarily from China, declined by approximately 750,000 compared to the first quarter. At the same time, the volume of orders placed within the EU increased by more than 1.25 million. Within this segment, the Polish marketplace Allegro further strengthened its position in Hungary. PwC’s summer research indicates that brand awareness of the platform among Hungarian online shoppers is now approaching 50%. Allegro’s success cannot be attributed to price competitiveness alone. Its broad product assortment, attractive delivery conditions tailored to Hungarian consumers, positive customer experiences, and a loyalty programme that includes free shipping have all contributed to the platform’s growing popularity.
“Consumer purchasing habits are evolving. Shoppers may be looking for alternatives, but they are not necessarily returning to smaller online retailers. Instead, the same products are reaching them through different channels. What is really changing are fulfilment models and supply chains, with increasing emphasis on omnichannel operations and a unified commerce service standard.”
“As part of this transformation, the Digital Commerce Association expects one of the key developments in the coming period to be the growing importance of regional marketplaces alongside Chinese platforms. These marketplaces are able to combine international scale with locally tailored customer service and fulfilment.”
According to e-commerce transaction data collected by PwC, the share of orders fulfilled from European warehouses or by EU-based merchants increased significantly in 2026. However, this shift is likely to be temporary, as Chinese merchants have repeatedly demonstrated their ability to adapt their operating models with remarkable flexibility. According to industry experts, the regulatory changes alone do not automatically create a competitive advantage for domestic retailers.
“In our view, the new EU customs regulations will not exclude global players from the market; rather, they will raise the threshold for entry. The companies most likely to benefit are those operating with European inventory, fast logistics capabilities, and a high level of service. We also expect EU-based marketplaces to gain prominence, as they can compete with Hungarian retailers both in terms of service quality and delivery speed. At the same time, their scale often enables them to offer more competitive prices and a broader product selection than what consumers typically find from domestic merchants.”
The Shift Toward Prepayment Continues
According to the latest Digital Commerce Overview, payment habits in the Hungarian e-commerce market also continued to evolve. The popularity and frequency of electronic prepayment increased further: based on the consumer survey featured in the report, 56% of online shoppers now prefer to pay in advance whenever possible. While cash on delivery (COD) remains widespread, card payment upon delivery has become more popular than cash payment upon delivery (35% vs. 30%).
“Electronic payments within e-commerce have undergone remarkable development over the past five years. According to the Digital Commerce Overview, by 2026, 76% of online purchases were cashless, and were paid by card on delivery or were prepaid during the checkout process. Among younger consumers, the use of digital wallets and tokenized payment cards has become natural. At the same time, security, simplicity, and transparency remain important across all generations, and electronic payments used for cash-on-delivery purchases also contribute to meeting these expectations.”
Parcel Lockers Overtake Home Delivery
One of the most significant logistics developments of the first half of the year is that, for the first time in many years, parcel lockers have become the most popular delivery option among Hungarian consumers, surpassing home delivery.
According to PwC’s database, nearly 11,000 parcel lockers are now operating across Hungary, and the vast majority of shipments collected at out-of-home delivery points are delivered to lockers, increasingly replacing traditional parcel pick-up points.
“In just a few years, parcel lockers have evolved from a convenient alternative into a basic consumer expectation in Hungary. International and EU-based e-commerce retailers could not afford to ignore this trend, and today nearly every major marketplace offers parcel-locker delivery to Hungarian customers. As a result, the delivery options available from domestic and foreign retailers have become largely identical, and in many cases, there is no meaningful difference in delivery speed either. This creates a significant challenge for smaller domestic webshops.”
The Entire Customer Journey Matters
According to consumer research presented in the Digital Commerce Overview, shoppers today view the purchasing process as a single, integrated experience, encompassing not only the retailer’s activities but also the broader ecosystem surrounding the transaction. As a result, product discovery, payment, delivery, and returns are no longer perceived as separate stages. Instead, consumers evaluate online stores and marketplaces based on the overall quality of the experience, where convenient payment options, flexible delivery methods, and efficient returns management are just as important as price and product selection.
"While price remains an important factor in online shopping decisions, consumers increasingly take into account the variety of payment options, the quality and speed of delivery services, and the overall shopping experience. These factors play an increasingly important role in shaping competition in the market. For this reason, it is essential that Hungarian companies operating in digital commerce place a strong emphasis on maintaining a competitive service level."
“Consumers simply expect everything to work smoothly and transparently. If an order can be placed with just a few clicks, payment is processed instantly, and the package can be collected wherever and whenever it is most convenient, the entire process becomes almost invisible.”
International players are adapting to these changing expectations as well. While the new customs regulations may reshape supply chains, they are unlikely to significantly reduce the importance of cross-border shopping. Instead, they are expected to accelerate the expansion of European warehousing capacity, regional fulfilment models, and local service infrastructures. For consumers, the country of origin is becoming less important than the overall shopping experience. What matters most is receiving their purchases quickly, reliably, and predictably, regardless of where the product is shipped from.
Whether We Shop Online or Offline Depends on the Situation
According to the research, consumers no longer see themselves as either online or offline shoppers. The same person may choose different purchasing methods depending on whether they are at work, travelling, doing their weekend shopping, or urgently needing a specific product. As a result, retailers should focus less on channels and more on the shopping situations and needs of their customers.
In the coming years, a further share of purchases traditionally made in physical stores may shift to digital channels. One of the key drivers of this trend is convenience. If a product can be found within seconds online, paid for quickly, and collected shortly thereafter, many shopping occasions that previously required a visit to a physical store may increasingly move into the digital space.
“The next wave of retail digitalization will not be driven by the arrival of new online shoppers, but by the ability to capture an ever-growing range of purchasing situations and consumer needs among existing customers.”
Notes to editors
Methodology
The purpose of the Digital Commerce Overview is to provide a comprehensive picture of the current state of the Hungarian e-commerce market and to help interpret the changes that are increasingly shaping the sector. The report presents the most important trends, market developments, and operational challenges, while also supporting market participants in navigating global competition and making more informed strategic decisions to drive future growth and competitiveness.
The report is titled “Digital Commerce Overview 2026 / I”. The survey is representative of the population of Hungarian webshops tracked by PwC, both by company size and sector. All consumer studies presented in the report are representative of the population of active Hungarian online shoppers. The Digital Commerce Overview was produced with the professional contribution of the Digital Commerce Association of Hungary and its member companies.
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