Balkan eCommerce Summit 2025 introduces new business club and expands opportunities for online merchants in the Balkans

On April 15, 2025, a press conference titled “Key Opportunities for Online Merchants and the Launch of the Balkan Business Club”” was held at the Bulgarian News Agency (BTA) in Sofia.

The event was organized by Dr. Nikola Ilchev, founder of Balkan eCommerce Summit, one of the most important meetings in the region dedicated to digital commerce.

The event brought together leading experts, institutional representatives, major international companies and the media to discuss key opportunities, challenges and future prospects for e-commerce in the region.

A highlight of the conference was the presentation of Balkan Business Club a new initiative that aims to unite businesses in the Balkans in a powerful network through events, a digital platform and direct connections to accelerate cross-border partnerships.

Dr. Nikola Ilchev also presented the upcoming edition of Balkan eCommerce Summit in 2025, which will be held on April 29–30 at Arena Sofia.

He highlighted the Summit's role as a bridge for businesses across the region and shared key trends and insights from the previous edition, along with a roundup of international speakers who will be participating in 2025.

Mariyan Stoyanov from Bulgarian Agency for the Promotion of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (BSMEPA) highlighted the valuable opportunities that international forums like the Balkan eCommerce Summit create for small and medium-sized enterprises.

He introduced the new program, “Success Together: Grow Your Online Business,” designed to support micro and small companies in building online stores, participating in international trade missions, and accessing digitalization training.

Ms. Milena Ramcheva, CEO of the fulfillment center Metric, shared that 70% of Europeans now buy from foreign sites, and e-commerce cross-border trade in Central and Eastern Europe is growing by over 15% per year, waiting to arrive at 24 billion euros until 2025.

According to her, the key to success in the region lies in providing a localized experience for customers, built on fast shipping, local language customer service, and personalized offers.

Ms. Miroslava Staneva, Brand Marketing Manager at eMAG Bulgaria presented impressive data on the growth of e-commerce in the region.

According to the European E-commerce Report 2024, 50% of Bulgarians and 55% of Romanians aged 16–74 are expected to have shopped online in 2024.

Online commerce penetration is now at 8.3% in Bulgaria, 10% in Romania and 8.5% in HungaryParticipants in Balkan eCommerce Summit 2025 will have the opportunity to explore the innovations that drive this growth starting from the eMAG Marketplace ecosystem with over 56,000 merchants and 1.4 million Genius subscribers, up to preplenishment from eMAG and the solutions powered by AI that support cross-border trade and improve the customer journey.

Ms. Tsveta Bratanova, Executive Director of GS1 Bulgaria, highlighted the benefits of GS1 global standards for e-commerce participants.

These include simplified catalogs, simplified product lists, increased traffic (with 40% more clicks and 20% more conversions) and a improved customer experience, among others.

She also highlighted the upcoming presentation of Digital Product Passport, which will become mandatory for industrial batteries starting from 2027GS1 is actively supporting businesses to ensure a smooth transition in compliance with the new EU rules.

The most anticipated moment of the event was the official launch of the Balkan Business Club, presented by Dr. Nikola Ilchev—a new regional initiative that aims to:

-Connect businesses across the Balkans through events in key cities;

-Provide an online platform for partnerships, expert access and direct contacts;

-Provide real-time publications, newsletters and market insights.

The project is open to companies from all Balkan countries and is designed to facilitate easier internationalization and strengthen business ties across the region.

In the audience were special guests and some of the first members of the newly established club, who asked active questions about Day 1 and Day 2 of the Balkan eCommerce Summit 2025, the participation rate by country, and the opportunities that the Balkan Business Club offers for entrepreneurs and organizations from Bulgaria and abroad.

For interviews or additional information, please contact:

Adelina Nikolova

📞 +359 894 725 700

(I.e. adelina.nikolova@ecommercebg.com

🌐 www.balkanecommerce.com