MerchantPro Compass: First Quarter of Dual Taxation on Non-EU Parcels Brings 13% More Orders to Local Online Stores. Fashion Rebounds from Stagnation to 17% Growth
First nine months of 2026: sales value up 8.5%, order volume up 6%. Performance across sectors ranges from +37% in Electronics, Gadgets & Accessories to -15% in Beauty, as online pharmacies (+23%) capture part of the demand.
After a first half of the year in which market growth was driven almost entirely by higher basket values, Romanian eCommerce shifted direction in the third quarter, the first in which parcels arriving from outside the European Union were subject to both national and EU-level taxes. The MerchantPro Compass analysis, conducted by MerchantPro, a SaaS eCommerce solutions platform supporting more than 2,000 active online stores, is based on a representative sample of stores operating on the platform during both periods under comparison. The data shows that, for the first time in nearly two years, market growth is being driven by order volumes rather than basket values, as local online retailers begin to regain ground in the categories most exposed to international competition.
In the first nine months of 2026, sales value increased by 8.5% compared with the same period last year, while order volumes rose by nearly 6%. The average order value reached €59, up 2.5%. Much of this growth was driven by the third quarter, when order volumes increased by 12.6%, virtually matching the 12% rise in sales value, while the average basket remained stable at €60. By comparison, order volumes had grown by only approximately 2.5% during the first two quarters.
Where the first effects of taxes on non-EU parcels are becoming visible
The RON 25 logistics tax, introduced in January for parcels valued below €150 arriving from outside the European Union, was supplemented on July 1 by an EU customs duty of €3 for each product category contained in a parcel. Combined, the two charges can add nearly 40% to the cost of a €20 order, enough to erode the price advantage that Asian platforms have built, particularly in the low-value purchase segment.
Although the impact of these taxes cannot be fully isolated from other factors influencing consumer spending, performance across sectors suggests that some demand has begun shifting back toward local online retailers. The strongest third-quarter results were recorded precisely in the categories most exposed to international competition:
- Fashion, the sector with the highest number of orders, moved from flat performance in the first half of the year to 17% growth in order volumes and 13% growth in sales value in Q3. Average order value declined by 3%, indicating a return of lower-value purchases.
- Children's Products narrowed the decline in order volumes from 18% in the first half of the year to less than 5% in Q3, with sales value virtually unchanged from last year.
- Automotive & Motorcycle Products and Sporting Goods both recorded 16% growth in order volumes in Q3, accompanied by declining average order values.
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