The State of E-commerce in SMES in the Visegrad Group: Insights from the Digital Economy and Society Index

This study aims to assess the digitization of E-commerce in the Visegrad Group (Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary, and Slovak Republic) by comparing their development from 2011 to the present against the best-performing EU countries and the EU average. This comparison is crucial to determine if the Visegrad Group is aligning with their strategic goal of converging with the EU in terms of economic and digital growth. Utilizing a comprehensive analysis of E-commerce indicators from the Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI), this research focuses specifically on the adoption and evolution of E-commerce in these countries. Our methodology involves a comparative data analysis to trace E-commerce trends and growth patterns. Key findings reveal that only the Czech Republic has surpassed the target in E-commerce adoption, with the other Visegrad nations lagging in their convergence to the EU average. Notably, the Slovak Republic shows significant volatility and instability in its E-commerce growth. The study also observes the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on E-commerce trends, highlighting a clear growth trajectory before the pandemic and a subsequent period of stagnation.