Books, Toys & School Supplies eCommerce Greece 2025: Trends, Benchmarks & Consumer Insights

The Greek eCommerce landscape for books, toys, and school supplies is being radically redefined in 2025. Driven by price-sensitive yet digitally mature consumers, seasonal shopping peaks, and a growing reliance on mobile-first experiences, the category is both competitive and full of potential.

Drawing from the Books, Toys & School Supplies Whitepaper 2025 by Lighthouse SA, powered by Vendallion®, this article talks about consumer trends that are shaping the market. It addresses consumer behavior and strategic priorities for retailers who want to grow smarter this year.


Market Size & Seasonal Dynamics

• Books & eBooks in Greece are projected to reach €558M in 2025, remaining a cornerstone of the market.
• Toys already account for nearly 18% of total toy sales online, with projections bringing this to 27% by 2029.
• School supplies dominate the August–September Back-to-School cycle, while Christmas and Easter drive peaks for toys and gifting.

Seasonality is crucial: August, December, and April are the months when the category surges, making early campaign planning critical.

Consumer Behavior: Price-Sensitive, Mobile-First, Trust-Driven
Greek consumers are some of the most digitally advanced in Europe, but extremely price-sensitive:

• 63%+ of sessions in this category come from smartphones.
• 84% of consumers prefer shopping from Greek eShops, even when using comparison platforms like Skroutz and BestPrice.
• 55% consider lack of trust a dealbreaker, especially in toys and children’s products.
• Cash on Delivery (CoD) is diminishing, but is still used by over 62.8%, with debit cards and PayPal leading digital payments.

Parents and gift-givers, in particular, like:

• Free shipping
• Clear return policies
• Reliable delivery times (first day of school, birthdays, holidays).

Performance Benchmarks & Channel Efficiency
According to Lighthouse benchmarks powered by Vendallion®:

• Email marketing yields the highest conversion rates (2.6%), thanks to loyalty re-engagement and seasonal gift guides.
• Marketplaces & referrals (Skroutz, BestPrice) generate consistently high ROAS.
• SEO & Direct traffic capture high-intent seasonal buyers (Back-to-School, Christmas).
• Paid social excels at discovery but is less efficient at conversion, unless paired with influencer UGC.

Strategic Priorities for 2025
To thrive in this seasonal and trust-sensitive market, Lighthouse recommends the following priorities for brands and retailers:

• Run early campaigns: Capture Back-to-School demand from mid-August and Christmas traffic from November.
• Mobile-first UX optimization: Fast load times, intelligent search, and seamless checkout are now essentials.
• Leverage marketplaces: Paid placements on Skroutz & BestPrice drive visibility among price-conscious shoppers.
• Flexible & trusted payments: Support debit, PayPal, instalments, and IRIS; CoD still plays a role.
• Transparent delivery: Show live stock availability, exact shipping times, and locker pickup.
• Tailored interaction: Loyalty schemes, seasonal bundles (e.g., Back-to-School kits), and AI-powered cross-sell suggestions boost repeat orders.

Case Studies: Real Brands, Real Results
Several leading Greek retailers in the category partnered with Lighthouse and Vendallion® to transform performance:

• Jumbo: +61% conversion rate after UX clarity upgrades and real-time ERP sync.
• GP Toys: +127% increase in revenue per active user, thanks to playful, structured UX.
• IANOS: +246% conversions through content-led performance marketing and #BookTok collaborations.

These *case studies prove that UX innovation, seasonal readiness, and trust-building tactics directly translate into measurable results.

• To read more case studies and gain in-depth insights, download the full whitepaper from the link at the end of this article.

The Books, Toys & School Supplies sector in Greece is growing fast, shaped by seasonality, mobile-first habits, and consumer trust signals. For retailers, success in 2025 means more than just product availability; it’s about delivering credible, seamless, and personalized digital journeys that convert seasonal shoppers into loyal customers.

At Lighthouse, we empower brands with Vendallion® technology, performance marketing expertise, and UX strategies designed to scale smarter in such dynamic markets.

👉 Download the full whitepaper to access strategic insights, category data, and performance benchmarks here