While the growth rate of global online commerce is slowing to single digits, Moldova recorded a 15% growth in 2024, due to the doubling of the number of online stores in two years.
“Our online commerce market is growing faster than the global average, and this dynamic is structural, not temporary. We are seeing an increase in the number of online merchants, digital payments and deeper integration with European value chains,” said Sergiu Rabii, Innovate Moldova program director.
Electronics and household appliances account for 36.2% of the value of online sales of goods, as they are protected from cross-border competition due to the volume of products and value, which often exceeds the duty-free import threshold of 150 euros.
According to the study, the fastest growing segments in 2024 were food delivery, gifts and cosmetics. Sales of prepared food and food products grew by 30.5%, reaching 514 million lei.
Cash on delivery remains the predominant method of payment for goods, accounting for 65.4% of transactions, given that, according to market participants’ estimates cited in the report, about 70% of companies selling online do not have inventory management systems capable of updating stocks in real time. Between 10% and 30% of orders are canceled due to out-of-stock items.
However, in 2024, Moldovan consumers placed more than 21.7 million orders on foreign platforms, spending about 530 million euros, exceeding the volume of domestic e-commerce. The growth was fueled by the aggressive strategy of Chinese platform Temu, which delivered around 2.4 million parcels to Moldova last year, accounting for 36% of all cross-border deliveries.
“This research is important not only to AmCham’s members, which include some of the country’s largest retailers, courier services, payment service providers and digital platforms, but also to the government. The document provides the data and evidence needed to develop modern and predictable regulations,” said Mila Malairau, Executive Director of AmCham Moldova.
About 450,000 urban Moldovans shop and pay online at least once a month, which is about 30% of the adult population – one of the lowest rates in Europe, where the average is 73%, according to the European E-Commerce Report 2025. An active shopper spends an average of 3500 lei per month on domestic and foreign platforms.
About 60% of online shoppers are under 40 years old and 62% are from Chisinau. The study points to a “significant digital divide” as about 70% of the adult population does not have access to e-commerce.
The authors of the study estimate that in the absence of a clear price or assortment advantage over physical stores, the e-commerce market in Moldova will grow moderately, at 7-9% per year between 2025 and 2026, solely due to generational change and the gradual adoption of digital habits. This could be accelerated by launching a marketplace like eMag or Rozetka, capable of negotiating lower prices with distributors or attracting European suppliers, but previous attempts have failed due to insufficient investment in promotion and weak bargaining power.
