Electronics is one of the most competitive segments of online retail. Technical e-commerce, however, is not just about laptops and televisions. Online shops specialising in car parts, filters, oils or office equipment may follow a very different growth logic.

A technical online shop may have an advantage precisely because it does not offer everything. Expertise, stock availability and timely delivery of the right part are values that online marketplaces cannot always replace.

Alza’s example: the Czech model can scale in Hungary too

The Hungarian operations of Czech-owned Alza.hu Kft. are among the strongest examples of a regional e-commerce business becoming a local market leader. Based on 2025 online turnover, PwC once again ranked it first in Hungary.

For smaller businesses, however, the point is not to copy Alza. The more interesting question is whether there are technical niches in which customers seek the right product, expert advice and reliable delivery rather than the market’s broadest catalogue.

Car parts are a typical example of specialisation

Slovak company AUBIRI specialises in spare parts for vans and commercial vehicles. According to E-commerce Slovakia, its annual turnover exceeds EUR 3.7 million; it operates in five countries and stocks more than 30,000 products in its own warehouse. Its advantage lies in detailed knowledge of individual vehicles and the rapid availability of parts, rather than a general assortment.

Similarly, Filtreaoleje, operated by Slovak company ERING, has annual turnover of approximately EUR 8.7 million. It offers oils, filters and operating fluids for cars, motorcycles, machinery and industrial use. These products have natural cross-border potential: demand is similar on both sides of the border, and customers often search by precise technical specifications.

Less romance, more data and logistics

Technical e-commerce depends on different factors from fashion or beauty retail. Search quality, accurate compatibility, stock availability, dispatch speed, the number of product codes and the ability to answer technical questions directly affect conversion rates.

Hungary is geographically attractive for Slovak online shops. A central warehouse in western or central Slovakia can serve part of Hungary almost as quickly as its domestic market. Products bought repeatedly, such as oils, filters, consumables and spare parts, can also help establish a stable customer base quickly.

TonerPartner: from a narrow category to regional e-commerce

TonerPartner is an interesting Czech example. Founded in Ostrava in 2014, it has operated in Hungary since 2018 and is now present in nine countries. It processes more than 4,700 shipments a day. It gradually expanded its initially narrow toner range to printers, scanners, 3D printing, office, household and workshop products.

This story illustrates one possible expansion model: first succeed in a specific category, establish a logistics and marketing model, and only then broaden the range.

Where might there still be room today?

Entering Hungary need not mean competing for the entire electronics market. Spare parts for particular brands, professional tools, operating fluids, specialist electronics, industrial accessories and technical hobby products may be more promising.

For businesses such as AUBIRI or Filtreaoleje, the more relevant question is therefore whether they can translate their existing expertise and stock advantage into Hungarian-language sales and distribution, rather than whether they can beat the largest players on price.

This may be precisely where the next wave of regional technical online shops can find an opportunity.

Hungary’s online market has long ceased to be a closed domestic arena. It is growing, imports account for a substantial share of turnover, and Czech and Slovak brands are already demonstrating that regional expansion can work.

Hungary need not be viewed as a distant “new country”. For a successful Czech or Slovak online shop, it may be a natural next step within Central Europe.

Hungary’s online market is larger than it first appears

According to PwC’s latest research, Hungary’s e-commerce market continues to expand in 2026. In the first quarter it grew by 14.2% year on year, while the number of online shoppers approached 4.4 million. In the second quarter, Hungarian shoppers completed 25.8 million online transactions, and total online retail spending including imports approached HUF 535 billion.

One figure is particularly significant: imports now account for almost one fifth of the online market. Hungarian consumers are therefore accustomed to buying from foreign retailers. A regional online shop is not entering a market in which customers first need to learn cross-border shopping; the habit already exists.

Czech and Slovak businesses are already among the leaders

The clearest evidence is the ranking of Hungary’s largest online retailers. Alza.hu Kft. again took first place in 2025, followed by Kifli.hu of the Rohlik Group. Notino is also among the best-known online brands. These are not isolated successes, but brands that have become major players in Hungarian e-commerce.

There are similar examples beyond the biggest players: GymBeam has built a substantial Hungarian market in sports nutrition; Bonami and Kondela in home furnishings; Footshop in streetwear; and MTBIKER and 4camping in sports and outdoor products.

Which segments are most interesting?

Several categories in Czech and Slovak e-commerce regularly show potential for cross-border expansion: technical products and car parts, furniture and home accessories, sports and outdoor equipment, cosmetics, fashion and footwear, functional foods and healthy living, and pet products.

Each segment has its own logic. In car parts, stock range and accurate vehicle-model searches may be decisive. In home furnishings, visual presentation and bulky-goods logistics matter. In beauty or fashion, brand, community and content are important. The common denominator is that a regional player need not be the biggest if it can offer a more compelling proposition in one category than a general-purpose online marketplace.

Service matters increasingly alongside price

PwC’s latest data indicate that competition in Hungary is moving beyond simple price comparisons towards the overall customer experience. Payment, product availability, delivery speed, easy returns and quality communication are now decisive alongside price.

This is good news for regional online shops. They need not win a price war against global platforms. They can succeed through greater expertise, reliability and flexibility. In 2026, almost half of Hungary’s online shoppers already prefer parcel lockers, and the network has exceeded 10,000 lockers. The logistical obstacles to regional expansion are therefore gradually diminishing.

Hungary as a natural part of a regional strategy

Slovak businesses benefit from immediate geographical proximity. For Czech online shops, Hungary is often a logical continuation of a Czech–Slovak–Polish–Romanian or Czech–Slovak–Austrian–Polish model. Services already exist for localisation, Hungarian customer service, local return addresses and market research, without having to build everything in-house.

CzechTrade also confirms the relevance of this topic: on 30 September 2026 it is organising a free seminar entitled “Marketplaces pro export”, with a separate session on Poland and Hungary, customer behaviour and market-entry opportunities through online marketplaces.

This series will therefore not argue that every online shop should enter Hungary. Instead, it will examine individual segments and businesses for which the question “Should Hungary be our next market?” may make genuine business sense.

Viewed as a whole in autumn 2026, Hungarian construction does not present an unambiguously optimistic picture. In July, construction output fell by 12.2% year on year, while building construction fell by 10.7%.

In the same month, however, Hungarian industrial output rose by 4.7% year on year and was 2.7% higher over the first seven months than in the same period of 2025.

This difference may be of interest to Slovak businesses too.

Hungary’s construction industry is not experiencing a general boom. Nevertheless, industrial investment continues to create concentrated markets with demand for specialist construction and technological expertise.

The pipeline of planned investment has not stopped either. In July, the Hungarian Investment Promotion Agency (HIPA) announced the resumption of investment-incentive decisions and continued negotiations on several new and expansion projects.

It is not just car factories being built

Industrial investment in Hungary is often associated mainly with automotive and battery manufacturing. Current projects, however, present a much broader picture.

In Jászárokszállás, Italian company Weger is investing EUR 24.6 million, including a new production hall of approximately 10,000 m². The plant will also use automated manufacturing technologies, a solar power system and energy storage.

In Vésztő, Electraplan E-SOLAR and Niedax Group are building a joint industrial complex worth EUR 72.5 million. The project covers more than 23,000 m² and includes a production hall, warehouse, direct rail connection, solar power and energy storage.

In Szigetszentmiklós, Danish company Xellia Pharmaceuticals is preparing an automated pharmaceutical manufacturing plant for EUR 70.85 million. It includes production space, warehouse capacity, technical infrastructure and modern support systems.

In Orosháza, Turkish company Doğuş Çay’s EUR 109.6 million investment includes comprehensive refurbishment of existing buildings, new production capacity and energy upgrades.

This therefore concerns more than one industry. Pharmaceuticals, food production, engineering, electronics and energy technology each create their own demand for construction and technological suppliers.

Expanding operating plants is a market in its own right

A current example is the expansion of Flex’s Zalaegerszeg plant. In September, construction of the new warehouse and office building of approximately 8,000 m² reached the structural stage.

An important feature of the project is that it is being carried out while the existing manufacturing plant remains in continuous operation.

Such projects place different demands on suppliers from traditional greenfield investment. Valuable capabilities include experience in active manufacturing environments, coordinating shutdowns, complying with safety procedures, connecting new systems to existing technologies and minimising disruption to production.

Many Slovak companies have strong references from overseas projects precisely in these areas.

Where is a realistic entry point for a Slovak company?

For a Slovak small or medium-sized business, becoming the main contractor on an investment worth tens or hundreds of millions of euros is generally not a realistic objective.

A clearly defined specialist work package may be much more interesting.

Examples include:

• steel structure fabrication and installation;
• prefabrication;
• industrial electrical installation;
• heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC);
• sprinkler and fire-protection systems;
• process piping;
• water and wastewater treatment;
• building management systems (BMS) and automation;
• industrial flooring;
• roofing and façade systems;
• cleanroom technologies;
• industrial insulation;
• crane operations and installation work;
• non-destructive testing (NDT);
• commissioning;
• design and engineering services.

Strong references and expertise focused on a narrow field may therefore be more important to a Slovak company than the ability to deliver an entire plant.

Crossing the border also changes the legal environment

The European single market facilitates cross-border services, but it does not mean that a Slovak construction business can start work in Hungary without further administrative steps.

Under Hungarian rules, a business from another EEA member state intending to perform construction work in Hungary as a cross-border service must notify its activity to the construction contractors’ register maintained by the Hungarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Since 2025, mandatory construction contractor liability insurance has also been an important entry condition, including for cross-border service providers.

Depending on the project, further matters may need to be addressed, such as:

• a responsible technical manager or another appropriately qualified professional;
• the electronic construction diary;
• posting Slovak employees to Hungary;
• occupational health and safety rules;
• VAT and taxation;
• the possible creation of a permanent establishment for tax purposes.

These questions should be checked before submitting a bid and signing a subcontract.

The subcontract is at least as important as the price

On large industrial projects, foreign subcontractors usually do not enter using their own contractual documentation.

They must adapt to the main contractor’s or EPC partner’s contractual system.

Particular attention should therefore be paid to defining the scope of work, change and variation-order mechanisms, additional works, contractual penalties, performance security, advance-payment guarantees, retentions, warranties, liability caps, insurance, and acceptance and certification procedures.

Hungarian construction legislation also prescribes mandatory content for construction and subcontracting agreements and makes performance of the activity subject to registration and professional requirements.

From Bratislava to Budapest: networking opportunities also exist

The timing is also interesting in terms of professional events.

The CONECO RACIOENERGIA trade fair takes place in Bratislava on 1–3 October 2026, bringing together construction, building services, energy efficiency and modern construction technologies.

In Hungary, the National Federation of Hungarian Building Contractors (ÉVOSZ) is organising a national construction conference on 29 October, covering building construction, technical trades, utility networks and building-materials manufacturing, among other topics.

CONSTRUMA and HUNGAROTHERM in Budapest on 8–11 April 2027 offer a further opportunity. For Slovak businesses in HVAC, heating, air conditioning, sanitary technology, building materials or technological solutions, these events may be useful entry points to Hungary.

On the Slovak side, the Association of the Construction Industry of Slovakia (ZSPS) is also a natural professional partner. It represents a substantial part of Slovak construction and addresses technological development, digitalisation and shortages of skilled labour.

There is no need to find the whole market – the right project is enough

Current data do not support the claim that Hungarian construction as a whole is experiencing a substantial boom.

Industrial investment, however, follows a different logic.

A pharmaceutical plant needs specialist HVAC and process systems. Food production needs hygienic piping, cooling and processing technology. An automated manufacturing plant needs quality electrical and control systems. Expanding an existing plant requires suppliers able to work while production continues.

For a Slovak construction or technology business, the general state of Hungarian construction is therefore not necessarily the most important question.

It is more important to know where an industrial project is being developed that requires precisely the expertise the business already has.