In 2021, Croatians most frequently bought mobile phones and smart watches on the internet, the average value of online purchases was HRK 283 and the most sought-after product was a robot vacuum, an analysis by the Jeftinije.hr portal shows.

Interest in online shopping increased in 2021, largely replacing traditional shopping. Fifty-nine percent of consumers aged 16 to 74 shopped online in 2021.

The analysis shows that the most popular categories of products were mobile phones and smartphones, followed by smartwatches, LCD/LED TV sets and summer tyres.

The top ten products also include children’s sneakers, freezer refrigerators, winter tyres, air conditioners, washing machines and laptops.

The most sought-after online product in Croatia was Xiaomi Vacuum MOP Essential robot vacuum cleaner.

Among the top ten products bought by Croatians in 2021 were Apple wireless headphones, steam cleaners, smartwatches, smartphones, beds and block kitchens.

Sales manager Igor Martinovic notes that 2021 saw a continued effect of the coronavirus pandemic but with less strict COVID rules than in 2020, which varied from country to country.

In the more developed markets, web retailers even saw a drop in sales compared to 2020, mostly due to huge growth in 2019/2020, he says.

The Croatian online market did not see a decline in sales but rather an increase owing to the momentum created by COVID as well as huge investments in digital marketing, primarily by leading fashion powerhouses from the EU.

Martinovic believes 2022 will see even higher investment in digital marketing and further demand growth.