Media consumption 2025-06-16

Gemius E-commerce study: Online shopping habits and delivery trends in the Baltics

A recent Gemius e-commerce study underscores the widespread adoption of online shopping across the Baltics, with evenings emerging as the prime time for digital purchases and parcel terminals standing out as the preferred delivery method. The survey reveals that while online shopping is increasingly convenient and accessible, challenges like slow delivery and high costs continue to affect customer satisfaction. Notably, a significant portion of consumers in the region have returned purchased goods, reflecting an active engagement with e-commerce practices.

Online shopping is the new normal

A recent Gemius e-commerce study reveals that online shopping is now a standard part of life in the Baltics. An impressive 86 percent of respondents in both Latvia and Estonia reported making at least one online purchase in the past six months, maintaining last year’s high levels. In Lithuania, 81 percent of respondents shopped online in the past twelve months, reflecting a slight decline from 89 percent in 2024. While the majority are active digital consumers, some respondents indicated plans to shop online soon, whereas others remain uninterested.

Evenings lead as the prime time for online shopping

Shopping online is firmly an evening activity across the region. The survey shows that the majority of e-commerce activity happens between 18:00 and 22:00, with 62 percent of Latvian (6 percentage point increase since last year), 58 percent of Estonian (4 percentage point drop), and 54 percent of Lithuanian (the same as last year) online shoppers making purchases during this window.

The second most popular time slot, 12:00 to 18:00, accounts for 29 percent of Latvian (5 percentage point drop from previous year), 30 percent of Estonian (the same as in 2024), and 36 percent of Lithuanian (2 percentage point drop) shoppers. Early mornings and late nights account for the remaining shopping activity, indicating a smaller but consistent group of off-peak consumers.

Parcel terminals: the preferred delivery option

Convenience and flexibility have solidified parcel terminals as the most popular delivery method in the Baltics. Usage in Latvia has increased from 93 percent in 2024 to 95 percent in 2025. For Estonia this number has remained the same for the past two years – 96 percent, while Lithuania has experienced a noteworthy shift, with parcel terminal usage declining from 66 percent in 2024 to 57 percent this year.

Courier delivery, although still widely used, is losing ground. In Latvia, the proportion of respondents opting for courier services dropped from 61 percent to 57 percent over the past two years. Estonia saw a decline from 54 percent in 2024 to 51 percent in 2025, and Lithuania's preference fell from 49 percent in 2024 to 37 percent this year. Store pickup remains the third most popular delivery method, selected by 48 percent of Estonians, 45 percent of Latvians, and 28 percent of Lithuanians — numbers that are largely unchanged for Latvia and Estonia but reveal an 8 percentage point drop for Lithuania when compared to last year.

Delivery still an issue - but improving

Despite the growing adoption of online shopping, delivery remains a point of frustration for many consumers, although satisfaction levels are steadily improving.

The most frequently reported issue across all three countries is slow delivery. In Latvia, 44 percent of respondents cited this problem in 2025, while in Estonia such problem was reported by 53 percent, and in Lithuania – 29 percent, indicating that these figures have remained unchanged from the previous year.

In Latvia and Estonia, high delivery costs are the second most common complaint, mentioned by 34 percent of Latvians (down from 39 percent in 2024) and 43 percent of Estonians (almost unchanged from 2024). In Lithuania, however, the second-most reported issue is different: 26 percent said the delivered product didn’t meet their expectations, though this too is down from 28 percent in the previous year.

The third most common answer for Latvia and Estonia is not encountering any delivery problems at all - in Latvia, this figure has risen from 22 percent in 2024 to 27 percent this year, but in Estonia the number has remained stable – 23 percent. In Lithuania, the third most common issue remains expensive delivery, but with a notable drop - 17 percent in 2025 compared to 24 percent in 2024.

Returning purchases: a common practice

A notable trend in the region is the practice of returning purchased goods, with 62 percent of Latvian respondents and 63 percent of Estonian respondents acknowledging they have returned items to merchants. This marks an increase for Latvians from 60 percent in 2024, and for Estonians – from 57 percent.

The Gemius e-commerce study was conducted using the gemiusAdHoc online survey. The study is based on data obtained through a pop-up internet questionnaire shown to randomly selected internet users on the most popular portals in Latvia, Estonia, and Lithuania. In Latvia, the study surveyed 2101 respondents aged 18 to 74, while in Lithuania, 1473 respondents aged 15 to 74 were surveyed. In Estonia, the study involved 1777 internet users aged 18 to 74.

To learn more about the research conducted in Latvia, Estonia, and Lithuania, please contact Gemius Latvia at contact@gemius.lv.

gemiusAdHoc conducts studies for individual business needs with the ability to determine public opinion on any topic, question, or industry.

Gemius is an international research and technology company providing data, as well as advanced tools for digital and traditional marketing activities such as web analytics, online campaigns’ management and ad serving. The company offers comprehensive solutions for marketers, advertising agencies, publishers and e-commerce. Gemius is present on the market since 1999. The company is a member of IAB Europe and I-COM Global. The research conducted by the company are carried out in accordance with the principles of the international ICC/ESOMAR code.