Hrvatska Posta (Croatian Post) delivered a record 17.5mn parcels in 2024 — an increase of 2.5mn from the previous year — driven by the rise of e-commerce and new partnerships with both domestic and international brands, Croatia Post reported on February 4.

Over the past eight years, the company has invested €230mn in infrastructure, digitalisation, and employee wages to improve its parcel delivery operations. 

"The growing popularity of e-commerce and the increasing number of domestic and international brands cooperating with the Croatian Post have had the greatest impact on the continued growth of the parcel operations," Croatia Post said in a press release. 

"Numerous international e-commerce brands from Europe, North America and Asia deliver their products to customers in Croatia via Croatian Post, which has thus built the status of a regional delivery and logistics partner and, thanks to its infrastructure and capacities, has become key to the growth of e-commerce in Croatia," the company added. 

The investment will continue in 2025, with funding allocated for automated sorting machines, expanded storage, and a new order-picking system.

As of today, Croatian Post handles shipments from e-commerce companies across Europe, North America and Asia.

The Croatian e-commerce sector has seen strong expansion in recent years, reaching a market value of $1.2bn as of 2023, according to data published ahead of the Balkan eCommerce Summit. Growth is expected to continue at an annual rate of 9-10% until at least 2027, reflecting not only changing consumer habits but also a well-developed retail ecosystem, advanced payment solutions and effective digital marketing strategies.

As in other countries in the region, the shift to online retail accelerated significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic. By 2023, 2.9mn Croatians were engaging in e-commerce, with an online shopping penetration rate of 64.5%. 

Among the popular retails are local names such as eKupi, Konzum and Emmezeta, as well as global giants like Amazon, eBay and AliExpress. Popular product categories are media, electronics, fashion and groceries.