Albania E-Commerce Market Size

Albania E-Commerce Market Analysis

In Albania, e-commerce is still in its infancy stage. Domestic retailers are increasingly adopting online shopping, and the number of Internet users has increased significantly in recent years, again boosted by COVID-19, but Albanian shoppers generally visit stores. Also, the use of electronic payments is rare. The market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 11.9% during the forecast period (2022 - 2027).

• Albania is primarily a cash economy and is a major impediment to the development of faster e-commerce. Cross-border electronic shopping is still in its infancy due to low credit card usage, low purchasing power, and high shipping costs. In addition, many foreign online retailers do not ship to Albania or charge exorbitantly high shipping costs.
• According to the International Trade administration, e-commerce in Albania is offered by a limited number of domestic merchants. Credit card usage is increasing, but it is restricted except in large hotels, restaurants, and department stores. The use of mobile phones to pay for goods and services is underdeveloped but not widespread. Currently, mobile phone use is limited to mobile banking. Businesses primarily use it, but it is only used to pay for utilities in a limited pool of individual users.
• In Albania, digital trade seems to have entered a "golden" phase since few years. Businesses are seeing it as a manner to "disconnect" purchasers from the conventional approaches of acquiring, to insert the digital world, to provide the whole lot in actual time and quickly. It is visible as a reaction to the financial disaster to acquire services and products cost-free. Even legislation ,which has currently passed through changes, has "opened" the gates to those services.
• The government has implemented significant reforms to promote trade and encourage foreign direct investment, including administrative procedures, customs, business registration, licenses, tax payments, e-services, etc. However, significant challenges remain despite recent improvements, such as Albania's infrastructure, which requires further investment and development.
• The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted global trade, supply chains, and labor markets, curtailed consumption and investment, and slowed global economic activity. This significantly impacted the UNECE region, including the transitional countries. Border closures and partial or complete blockades have become new norms in many parts of the world. The transition economy in the UNECE region, which is the focus of attention here, has been hit hard by the recession caused by the pandemic. These economies are Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Belarus.