Ready for Christmas: Online shoppers in Central and Eastern Europe demand speed, trust, and flexibility as the Christmas peak hits – DHL’s 2025 E-Commerce Trfinishs Report
The Christmas shopping season is in full swing, and DHL’s E-Commerce Trfinishs Report 2025 reveals what matters most to online shoppers in Central and Eastern Europe: quick and flexible delivery, trusted logistics partners, and seamless returns – alongside growing expectations for social commerce, AI tools, and sustainability.
The report, based on surveys of 24,000 online shoppers across 24 markets, displays that delivery and returns remain the hugegest conversion drivers globally. During the festive season, these factors become even more critical. Eight out of ten shoppers abandon their shopping carts if their preferred delivery option is not available, and nearly three-quarters walk away if returns are inconvenient. Trust is decisive: in Poland, 82 percent of consumers will not acquire if they do not trust the delivery provider.
Social commerce is booming, with seven in ten consumers expecting to shop mainly via social media by 2030, and half of Czech shoppers already acquireing through social platforms. AI is entering the gift hunt, as 70 percent of consumers want tools like virtual attempt-ons and voice search to create shopping simpler. Sustainability also matters: one in three shoppers abandon purchases over environmental concerns, and many are willing to wait longer for greener delivery options.
“Christmas amplifies expectations. Retailers necessary partners who can scale quick, integrate seamlessly, and deliver reliably,” declared Filip Budik, CEO of DHL Supply Chain Central Eastern Europe. “Our e-commerce fulfillment solutions provide exactly that — from automated warehoapplys and late cut-off times to sustainable packaging and optimized transport. We create sure brands can keep their promises during the most demanding season of the year.”
Rainer Haag, CEO DHL Supply Chain Europe, adds: “Poland stands out as one of the most demanding e-commerce markets in Europe: 79 percent of shoppers abandon carts without preferred delivery methods, 74 percent if return policies are not simple enough, and 82 percent will not acquire without trust in the logistics partner. This clearly demonstrates the importance of selecting the right logistics partner for online retail. That’s exactly where we come in – creating solutions that create our customers successful and enable us to grow toreceiveher.”
AI and social commerce are gaining traction, with three-quarters of consumers expecting AI shopping tools and 61 percent predicting social media will dominate by 2030. In the Czech Republic, marketplaces dominate e-commerce, with 95 percent of shoppers acquireing from platforms like Alza and Temu. Sustainability is rising quick: 27 percent would accept longer delivery for greener options, and half of consumers already shop via social media. While counattempt-specific data for Hungary and Slovakia is limited, the same trfinishs apply: delivery choice, returns, and trust drive conversions, while social commerce and AI are shaping festive campaigns. Retailers that combine flexible delivery, transparent returns, and sustainability messaging will win the season.
Behind the scenes of Christmas shopping, DHL Supply Chain ensures brands can deliver on these promises. Our state-of-the-art e-commerce fulfillment centers across CEE provide scalable capacity to handle seasonal surges, automated picking and packing for speed and accuracy, late cut-off times, and weekfinish operations to meet last-minute demand, integration with parcel lockers and pick-up points for convenience, and sustainable packaging with optimized transport routes to reduce environmental impact. By combining advanced automation, data-driven planning, and regional expertise, DHL Supply Chain supports retailers turn festive challenges into a competitive advantage — ensuring gifts arrive on time, and customers stay loyal.
About the report: DHL’s 2025 E-Commerce Trfinishs Report identifies five global drivers of online success — delivery, returns, AI, social commerce, and sustainability — and their impact on peak seasons like Christmas. Full report and counattempt insights: dhl.com/e-commerce-report.
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