Innobyte, PayU, Noriel, Animawings and Spring Farma highlighted the latest trends in eCommerce and digital payments
Innobyte, one of the most important Romanian companies specialized in eCommerce services and solutions, together with PayU Romania, a leader in online payments, announces the conclusions of a panel dedicated to the evolution of eCommerce, held during the Black Friday Media Center by PayU GPO event, on November 7. Representatives from top retailers – Noriel, Spring Farma, and Animawings – discussed the challenges and trends in eCommerce, emphasizing the importance of modern digital payments for conversion and customer loyalty, as well as the need for strategic collaboration between merchants and technological partners.
eCommerce 2025: from the discount rush to a focus on trust and experience
Consumer behaviour online has matured significantly. If in past years Black Friday was synonymous with the rush for the biggest discounts, now the focus is shifting to trust and the experience retailers offer. “Today, the lowest price doesn’t necessarily win, but the services offered and the complete customer experience make the difference,” believes Cătălin Bordei, Managing Partner of Innobyte.
Retailers have also noticed this change in attitude: Rodica Chiriță, Digital Marketing Manager at Noriel, noted that “if until now customers were only looking for discounts, now they are much more attentive and place more value on after-sales services and fast delivery. Trust in the brand and in the entire purchasing process matters the most”.
Moreover, the economic context has made many buyers cautious before promotions begin. “Due to economic changes, in the second half of the year, consumers were more careful and calculated in terms of purchases, but the moment the Black Friday campaign started, interest exploded – there was a real wave of orders”, said Corina Scheianu, Head of Marketing Spring Farma, highlighting how purchasing behaviour has evolved.
At the same time, services such as tourism benefit from online shopping events: Romanians are increasingly planning their trips in advance, waiting for special offers. “Black Friday came <as a glove> for aviation – it provides a cash-flow boost in a traditionally weaker month and helps people book their trips in advance at the best prices of the year”, emphasised Diana Dima, Chief Commercial Officer Animawings.
Modern digital payments – conversion and loyalty engine
Participants in the discussion highlighted the crucial role of modern payment methods in optimising online sales. The bank card remains by far the dominant instrument: Animawings, for example, records over 95% of card payments when purchasing airline tickets. In pharma retail, card payments are also preferred for both security and regulatory reasons. “Regulations in the pharma industry have pushed us to develop 100% secure and digital payment solutions, which have led to an excellent adoption of online payments. For example, for OTC (over-the-counter) products, cash on delivery is not accepted, so the customer is practically obliged to pay online. Likewise, delivery to lockers requires payment by card”, explains Corina Scheianu (Spring Farma).
Diversifying payment options and simplifying the checkout process can significantly increase the conversion rate. “I think it’s very important to have diversity in payment methods, as it contributes to a better conversion rate. A simple and transparent checkout process can make the difference between a completed order and an abandoned cart”, says Rodica Chiriță (Noriel). According to her, Noriel was among the pioneers in implementing Buy Now, Pay Later services on the local market, but the results were mixed: “BNPL did not catch on with low- or medium-value products – customers preferred to pay in classic instalments, especially for larger purchases”. Currently, Noriel is partnering with banks to offer extended interest-free instalments (increasing the standard period from 3 to 6 instalments during the peak season).
“Black Friday 2025 has once again demonstrated that Romanians are eagerly awaiting this day, preparing their budgets and shopping lists in advance. Just two weeks before the campaign, we conducted a survey that showed 7 out of 10 Romanians intended to shop on Black Friday, and over 60% preferred to pay by card—a clear sign of a strong online payment option. And the results of this edition confirmed this consumer behaviour: the total value of transactions reached 720 million RON, with over 1.31 million payments processed, and a growing interest in instalment payments, which accounted for 35% of the total. As a result, our long-term mission, together with our partners, is to provide consumers with a fast, safe and easy shopping experience, adapted to their real needs”, declares Elena Gheorghe, Country Manager PayU GPO Romania and Hungary.
Another trend discussed is the adoption of mobile apps as the main sales and loyalty channel. Animawings, for example, sees its mobile app generating a majority of B2C sales during promotional periods, surpassing the website. New features – such as in-app loyalty programs or flexible booking options (“lock your fare”) – are being developed to increase customer retention. “Payment in instalments is not yet a practice in the airline industry, but we are flirting with this idea for the future, as it is demanded on the Romanian market,” revealed Diana Dima, a sign that Romanian consumers’ expectations are leading companies to consider new locally adapted payment solutions.
Strategic partnerships for the digitalisation of online commerce
Experts agreed that the digitalisation of eCommerce is a team effort, involving both retailers and their technological partners. The rapid implementation of new payment methods and the optimisation of the shopping experience are only possible through close collaboration between retailers and solution providers. Innobyte plays a strategic integrator role in this ecosystem, helping to implement online payment platforms and modules (such as PayU solutions) in digital stores.
“Digitalisation does not stop with the implementation of technology. Close collaboration between retailers and technology partners, such as our partnership with PayU GPO, ensures better customer experiences and increased trust in online commerce,” says Cătălin Bordei, Managing Partner of Innobyte.
Retailers on the panel provided concrete examples of how such partnerships support their businesses. Noriel, for example, was among the first to integrate innovative payment options and invested in a true omnichannel approach, coordinating its online platform with its network of 98 physical stores nationwide. Spring Farma focused on creative digital marketing solutions (including a dedicated WhatsApp group for customers) and integrated offline-online expansion, collaborating with technology providers to automate communication and logistics. The company constantly runs integrated online-offline campaigns and actively explores new platforms and technologies to stay present where its customers are.
Animawings, in turn, benefits from global ticketing and multi-currency payment systems provided by partners, which allow it to sell tickets worldwide. “Ticketing systems have evolved enormously, and today we can handle payments in all currencies of the countries where we operate. We have overcome many technological challenges, and our platform can now process multi-currency, partial payments, integrating with tax systems,” explains Diana Dima, emphasising the importance of quality technological support.
A common element highlighted by all participants is trust in strategic partnerships. Whether it is implementing state-of-the-art payment solutions, expanding into new channels, or running innovative marketing campaigns, Romanian retail companies rely on collaboration with technology experts to keep up with consumers’ ever-increasing expectations.
