The eCommerce Association in Bosnia and Herzegovina has once again continued its long-standing partnership with Shoptalk Europe, one of Europe’s most important events for retail, eCommerce and technology. This marks the Association’s fifth partnership with Shoptalk Europe, practically from the very beginning of the event’s presence in Europe. For years, this collaboration has given the eCommerce community in Bosnia and Herzegovina direct access to the trends, contacts and knowledge shaping the future of commerce.
Shoptalk Europe 2026 took place from 9 to 11 June in Barcelona, bringing together more than 4,500 leaders from retail, technology, brands, investment and the startup ecosystem. The programme featured more than 180 speakers and over 50 sessions, while the Shoptalk Meetup programme facilitated more than 25,000 pre-scheduled business meetings. Yet beyond the numbers, one message stood out clearly throughout the event: European retail is entering a phase in which simply “being online” is no longer enough. Companies must be visible to algorithms, relevant to AI assistants, trusted by consumers and operationally ready to turn change into action, not just strategy.
For the market of Bosnia and Herzegovina, this is not an abstract story about the future of large global systems. Quite the opposite. The trends presented at Shoptalk Europe 2026 will have the strongest impact on companies that are currently building their digital foundations. Businesses that organise their data, logistics, customer support, trust-building mechanisms and content today will not have to spend tomorrow fixing what should have been built properly from the start.
From Search to AI Recommendations: Agentic Commerce Is Coming
One of the most important concepts at this year’s Shoptalk was agentic commerce. It refers to a new phase of digital commerce in which AI assistants do not merely answer questions, but increasingly help customers find products, compare options, receive recommendations, renew orders or even delegate parts of the purchasing process.
This changes the basic logic of eCommerce. In the past, the key question was how to rank well in Google search. Today, the new question is how to be recommended by an AI assistant. In other words, alongside SEO, optimisation for generative systems and AI environments that provide answers, not just lists of links, is becoming increasingly important.
For retailers and brands in Bosnia and Herzegovina, this means that product data must become a serious business asset. AI systems cannot properly “understand” a product if descriptions are superficial, categories are inconsistent, attributes are incomplete, images are poorly labelled, stock availability is not updated and information about delivery and returns is unclear. A product that is not well structured in data may become invisible in tomorrow’s AI-driven recommendations.
In practical terms, every eCommerce business should start with one simple question: could an AI assistant accurately explain our product to a customer? If the answer is no, the problem is not the AI. The problem is the catalogue.
AI Adoption Is Rising, but Profitability Is Still Lagging Behind the Hype
Another major conclusion from Shoptalk Europe 2026 was the gap between the adoption of AI tools and their actual business impact. Data presented at the event showed that 88% of large companies have implemented some form of AI, but only 6% can clearly link AI to a direct contribution to profitability.
This may be one of the most useful lessons for companies in Bosnia and Herzegovina: AI should not be introduced because it is popular, but because it solves a specific problem. Without a clear objective, ownership of data, measurable outcomes and team accountability, AI can easily become just another tool that looks modern but does not change business performance.
A far smarter approach for the local market is to start with smaller, measurable use cases. These could include automating answers to the most common customer questions, improving product descriptions, segmenting customers, forecasting demand, reducing stock errors, analysing reviews, processing returns or supporting the sales team. If the result cannot be measured, the investment is difficult to justify.
AI will not fix poor processes on its own. In fact, it will often expose them faster.
Trust Is Becoming the Most Valuable Currency in Digital Commerce
Although AI dominated the programme, Shoptalk Europe 2026 was not a technology event without a human dimension. One of the strongest messages was that retailers must use technology, but they must not lose consumer trust. According to data presented by Ipsos, only 35% of European consumers trust companies to use their data responsibly in the context of AI, compared with a global average of 48%.
This is especially important for markets such as Bosnia and Herzegovina, where trust in online shopping is still being built through very concrete factors: clear prices, secure payments, accurate delivery times, simple returns, accessible customer support and real reviews. AI can improve the shopping experience, but it cannot replace basic reliability.
For local retailers, this means that trust must be visible at every stage of the customer journey. The customer needs to know who stands behind the online store, what happens if a product is not suitable, how their data is protected, how long delivery actually takes and who they can contact if something goes wrong. Without this, even the most advanced AI chatbot is just a polished facade on a weak foundation.
Discovery Commerce: Customers No Longer Always Start with the Search Bar
Another trend directly influencing eCommerce strategies is the shift from a search-first model to discovery-led commerce. Increasingly, customers do not begin their shopping journey by typing a term into a search engine. Instead, they discover products through video, creators, recommendations, visual search, livestreams or AI assistants.
At Shoptalk, Pinterest highlighted that 69% of Gen Z shoppers find visual search results more useful than text-based results when making purchase decisions. TikTok Shop, meanwhile, continues its European expansion and, from 15 June 2026, becomes available in Austria, Belgium, the Netherlands and Poland, alongside existing markets such as France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom. More than 100,000 European businesses have already joined TikTok Shop across key EU markets.
For companies from Bosnia and Herzegovina, this does not mean that everyone needs to launch a live shopping studio tomorrow. But it does mean that content can no longer be treated as a side activity. Photography, short-form video, reviews, product demonstrations, user-generated content, creators and social proof are becoming part of the sales system, not just marketing. In the new environment, attention is not bought only through advertising. It is earned through relevant content.
Marketplace Models Open Doors, but They Require Serious Preparation
One of the important announcements from Shoptalk Europe 2026 was the expansion of Kaufland Global Marketplace to Spain and the Netherlands. This brings the platform closer to a model of nine marketplaces in nine countries through a single registration, with a potential reach of up to 220 million online customers.
For companies from Bosnia and Herzegovina considering regional or European growth, marketplace models can offer a real opportunity, but only if the basic requirements are in place. These include accurate product data, compliance with market rules, clear logistics, the ability to manage returns, customer support in the required languages, high-quality photography, competitive pricing and a clear understanding of commission, delivery and advertising costs.
A marketplace is not a shortcut if the business is not ready. It simply increases the visibility of what already exists. If the operation is strong, a marketplace can accelerate growth. If the operation is weak, it can accelerate problems.
Recommerce and the Circular Economy Are No Longer a Niche
Shoptalk Europe also placed strong emphasis on the growth of recommerce, meaning the sale of second-hand, refurbished, repaired or reused products. According to forecasts by McKinsey and The Business of Fashion, the global second-hand fashion and luxury market is expected to grow from EUR 168 billion in 2023 to EUR 270 billion in 2027.
This is an important signal for Bosnia and Herzegovina as well. Recommerce does not have to be reserved only for fashion brands or large platforms. There is potential in categories such as clothing, children’s products, furniture, electronics, sports equipment, books and home goods. A particularly interesting model is one in which brands maintain the customer relationship beyond the first sale, through repairs, buy-back, exchange, refurbishment or resale.
For the local market, where consumers are price-sensitive and where trust in product quality and origin plays a major role, recommerce can be both a commercial and reputational opportunity.
Operations and Logistics: The End of Static Planning
One message repeated across several sessions was that eCommerce growth no longer depends only on sales, but on the operational ability to deliver on what has been promised. European eCommerce continues to grow, but customers are becoming less forgiving of inaccurate stock information, slow delivery, unclear returns and poor communication.
Shoptalk also pointed to changes in inventory and supply chain planning. Static forecasts are no longer enough in a world where demand can be affected by weather, a viral video, inflation, changing consumer habits or sudden logistics disruptions. The winners will be companies that combine automation with better demand forecasting and faster responses to data from sales, social media, seasonality and customer behaviour.
For Bosnia and Herzegovina, this means that competitiveness is not built only through the online store, but also through the warehouse, delivery, customer support and returns. Digital commerce is not only digital. Its reputation often breaks at the most physical part of the process: delivery.
What the eCommerce Community in Bosnia and Herzegovina Can Do Now
The greatest value of Shoptalk Europe 2026 for the market of Bosnia and Herzegovina is not in copying trends, but in translating them into practical steps. For retailers, brands, logistics companies, payment providers and technology partners in Bosnia and Herzegovina, several priorities stand out as especially important:
- Organise product data. Product names, attributes, categories, descriptions, images, availability, prices, delivery and return information must be clear, structured and regularly updated.
- Introduce AI through specific business problems. Start with customer support, content, demand analysis, inventory or personalisation, but measure the results clearly.
- Build trust before automation. Transparency, data protection, payment security, clear return policies and accessible support remain the foundation.
- Develop content that sells. Video, visual search, creators, reviews and authentic recommendations are becoming part of the sales channel.
- Prepare for cross-border growth. Marketplaces and regional sales require operational discipline, not just ambition.
- Think about the product lifecycle. Repairs, returns, second-hand models and the circular economy can open new sources of revenue and loyalty.
- Connect the industry. eCommerce does not grow in isolation. It needs retailers, logistics providers, banks, fintech companies, regulators, technology partners and market education.
Conclusion: The Future Will Not Wait for the Market to “Mature”
Shoptalk Europe 2026 clearly showed that European retail is entering a new phase: AI will increasingly stand between the customer and the product, trust will become harder to build and easier to lose, and shopping will become less linear. A customer may discover a product on TikTok, check it through an AI assistant, compare reviews, buy it through a marketplace and expect fast, clear and secure delivery.
For the eCommerce community in Bosnia and Herzegovina, this is both a challenge and an opportunity. The market may not be the largest, but that also means it can be more agile. Companies that now build strong foundations, from data and trust to logistics and content, will be in a much better position in the new environment.
As a long-standing partner of Shoptalk Europe and a member of the Ecommerce Europe network, the eCommerce Association in Bosnia and Herzegovina will continue to share relevant insights, connect local companies with European trends and advocate for the development of an eCommerce ecosystem that does not lag behind change, but understands it in time.
