{"id":61784,"date":"2025-09-10T14:11:11","date_gmt":"2025-09-10T12:11:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.vivnetworks.com\/intervju-marcel-majsan-o-razvoju-ecommerce-a-u-adria-regiji\/"},"modified":"2025-09-02T15:57:46","modified_gmt":"2025-09-02T13:57:46","slug":"interview-marcel-majsan-on-the-development-of-ecommerce-in-the-adria-region","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vivnetworks.com\/en\/interview-marcel-majsan-on-the-development-of-ecommerce-in-the-adria-region\/","title":{"rendered":"Interview: Marcel Majsan on the Development of eCommerce in the Adria Region"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The Adria region is becoming increasingly important for our company, CJ VIVnetworks<\/a>. Through our CJ.com platform, we are actively developing affiliate programs in Adria for clients such as Notino, BigBang, Megabon, Booking, Esky, Answear, Aboutyou, Footshop, Libristo, Lisca, Lelosi, Mohito, Zepter, Crocs, Sensilab, and many others.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We strive to inspire local eCommerce players by showcasing affiliate success stories from more developed markets in Central and Western Europe, helping them grow their affiliate programs in Adria and beyond. At the same time, we absorb insights about the Adria eCommerce market and share them to encourage international brands to expand their business into the region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As part of our expansion efforts, CJ VIVnetworks closely collaborates with local eCommerce associations in the Adria region, with the most prominent being the Croatian eCommerce Association.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A valuable partner and excellent spokesperson on eCommerce development in Adria is Marcel Majsan<\/a>, President of the Croatian eCommerce Association. In response to our questions, he presented the market and its growth potential. Marina Kostkova<\/a>, Business Development Manager at CJ VIVnetworks, added her perspective on the region\u2019s development from the affiliate network standpoint.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Question: How is the Adria market developing?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Marcel Majsan:<\/strong>
Back in 2015, when I founded the Croatian eCommerce Association, a law came into effect that significantly influenced online shopping (aside from the pandemic and lockdowns). This law allowed customers to return goods purchased online within 14 days without providing a reason. Initially, many merchants hid this information in their terms and conditions, unaware that highlighting it on the homepage could actually build trust and boost sales. One of our first campaigns 10 years ago was to inform merchants about this law. Unfortunately, the law only applies to EU countries, so it doesn\u2019t cover neighboring countries like Bosnia and Serbia. Still, I believe it shaped merchants\u2019 understanding of the importance of earning customer trust.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pandemic was an even greater catalyst. It encouraged people who had never shopped online to try it, and pushed merchants to improve their webshops or create their first ones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The entry of major European brands brought free shipping and returns, raising standards in local markets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, platforms like Temu and Shein are trending due to their vast product range, competitive prices, ease of use, personalization, quality customer support, and fast, reliable delivery. These elements create a powerful ecosystem that attracts and retains users, making these platforms leaders in global and regional eCommerce.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I haven\u2019t personally worked on projects in the region, but after us, eCommerce associations were launched in Serbia, Bosnia, and recently Montenegro. Everyone seems to be watching what Croatia does, knowing their customers will soon expect the same. Just as Croatians look to the West and the U.S.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Question: Where do you see the biggest growth opportunities?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Marcel Majsan:<\/strong>
The key to further growth in eCommerce isn\u2019t some magical strategy. It\u2019s merchants being willing to expand internationally, seriously start cross-border sales, and finally compete in the European market. For that, faster, cheaper, and more reliable international shipping is essential. It\u2019s not as expensive as merchants think, especially within the EU.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Next, customer support standards need to improve\u2014buyers want instant solutions and support across all channels. Practical education is also needed, with hands-on workshops and experience sharing for webshops.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In short: international expansion, faster and cheaper global shipping, better customer support, practical education, and less bureaucracy. That\u2019s the recipe for serious growth. Everything else is just an excuse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Question: What challenges do merchants most often face?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Marcel Majsan:<\/strong>
Most local web merchants have only a basic understanding of laws, especially GDPR. Large companies have teams and external experts. Small players often copy terms from bigger ones until a problem arises. Laws change frequently, and small merchants struggle to keep up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fortunately, lawyer Dijana Kladar, who specializes in commercial and eCommerce law, is our association\u2019s vice president. You can enroll in her module at our Academy or hire her as needed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As for user experience and websites, Croatian web merchants can be surprisingly good. Confirmed by results from our eCommAwards competition, where we\u2019ve analyzed over 500 webshops. We have individuals and companies that match or even surpass European competitors in UX and digital marketing. However, most still struggle with resources and the eternal question: \u201cHow to stay within budget while delivering a top-notch experience?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Question: How do you compare the markets in Croatia<\/a>, Slovenia<\/a>, Bosnia, and Serbia<\/a>?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Marcel Majsan:<\/strong>
Croatia has the largest market in terms of eCommerce revenue, with most major players being domestic retail brands with multiple stores nationwide (home\/electronics\/groceries). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Slovenia is a smaller but more mature market (high card usage, strong local platform), and their consumers increasingly shop cross-border within the EU.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bosnian shops closely follow the western part of the region in terms of website quality and card payment popularity. Their classified platform OLX.ba is extremely popular, similar to Nju\u0161kalo in Croatia, but with the added ability to order directly through listings\u2014making them somewhat more advanced than Croatians in that regard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Serbia is growing rapidly in terms of traffic, with marketplaces like Ananas and Shoppster setting new standards. Cash on delivery (COD) is still dominant across all markets\u2014indicating a lack of trust and the need to change consumer habits to reduce it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Question: How can merchants increase customer trust and security?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Marcel Majsan:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n