Slovenia Country Commercial Guide
Learn about the market conditions, opportunities, regulations, and business conditions in slovenia, prepared by at U.S. Embassies worldwide by Commerce Department, State Department and other U.S. agencies’ professionals
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eCommerce
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Assessment of Current Buyer Behavior in Market

Online sales of consumer goods have grown substantially in Slovenia in recent years, as has the use of credit cards for in-person and online transactions. Approximately 90 percent of Slovenians aged 10-74, as well as almost all companies with ten or more employees, have broadband internet access.  According to recent statistics, more than 54 percent of Slovenian internet users make monthly web purchases, while the average amount per purchase has doubled. ECommerce growth has been most pronounced in the food and beverage, automotive, toys, and pet food and product markets.  76 percent of websites in Slovenia have developed online versions of their webpages optimized for mobile devices.  

Local eCommerce Sales Rules & Regulations

In 2015, the European Union, launched the Digital Single Market Strategy, of which e-commerce was a priority area. Since then, the Electronic Commerce Directive has provided rules for online services in the European Union, including requiring providers to abide by regulations in the country where they are established (the country of origin); to meet certain consumer protection rules, such as indicating contact details on their website, clearly identifying advertising, and protecting against spam. The Directive also grants exemptions to liability for intermediates that transmit illegal contact by third parties and for unknowingly hosting content. The recently adopted Digital Services Act and Digital Markets Act establish additional rules for online services. The former includes measures to tackle online sales of counterfeit goods and online illegal and harmful content. The latter sets rules for ‘gatekeeper’ online platforms, aiming to curb unfair practices and promote competition.

Local eCommerce Business Service Provider Ecosystem

Slovenia’s telecommunications infrastructure is well developed, and broadband internet is readily available at a reasonable price. Domestic eCommerce is expanding rapidly in Slovenia due to lower prices and an increasing variety of products. Online purchases within the EU are not subject to customs duties. Despite global competition, more than half of Slovenian online buyers (54 percent) shop only at domestic online stores. Cross-border eCommerce is growing as more Slovenians purchase goods and services online from other EU countries and the United States. Slovenian consumers use all major international eCommerce sites, including Amazon, although many Slovenians choose to purchase online from EU-based websites of popular American online companies such as Amazon Germany to avoid duties. The most common items purchased online include electronic goods, fashion products, housing equipment, books, medicines, health supplements, travel bookings, and airline tickets.

Business-to-business (B2B) eCommerce is still in its infancy in Slovenia, as many companies continue to rely on more established systems with relatively outdated processes and limited sales channels. Slovenia’s automobile industry, with significant sales to Germany, France, and Italy, is in the process of expanding its B2B commerce infrastructure.

Online payments are generally handled through international credit cards such as MasterCard, VISA, or Diners Club, although Pay Pal, Apple Pay, and Google Pay are also growing in importance. Moneta, a Slovenian secure payment provider, is often used for payments relating to domestic purchases.

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Global Business Navigator Chatbot Beta

Welcome to the Global Business Navigator, an artificial intelligence (AI) Chatbot from the International Trade Administration (ITA). This tool, currently in beta version testing, is designed to provide general information on the exporting process and the resources available to assist new and experienced U.S. exporters. The Chatbot, developed using Microsoft’s Azure AI services, is trained on ITA’s export-related content and aims to quickly get users the information they need. The Chatbot is intended to make the benefits of exporting more accessible by understanding non-expert language, idiomatic expressions, and foreign languages.

Limitations

As a beta product, the Chatbot is currently being tested and its responses may occasionally produce inaccurate or incomplete information. The Chatbot is trained to decline out of scope or inappropriate requests. The Chatbot’s knowledge is limited to the public information on the Export Solutions web pages of Trade.gov, which covers a wide range of topics on exporting. While it cannot provide responses specific to a company’s product or a specific foreign market, its reference pages will guide you to other relevant government resources and market research. Always double-check the Chatbot’s responses using the provided references or by visiting the Export Solutions web pages on Trade.gov. Do not use its responses as legal or professional advice. Inaccurate advice from the Chatbot would not be a defense to violating any export rules or regulations.

Privacy

The Chatbot does not collect information about users and does not use the contents of users’ chat history to learn new information. All feedback is anonymous. Please do not enter personally identifiable information (PII), sensitive, or proprietary information into the Chatbot. Your conversations will not be connected to other interactions or accounts with ITA. Conversations with the Chatbot may be reviewed to help ITA improve the tool and address harmful, illegal, or otherwise inappropriate questions.

Translation

The Chatbot supports a wide range of languages. Because the Chatbot is trained in English and responses are translated, you should verify the translation. For example, the Chatbot may have difficulty with acronyms, abbreviations, and nuances in a language other than English.

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