AI, Black Friday and the Million-Euro Question: How Much Is Your eCommerce Business Worth?

The eighth edition of the CRO Commerce Conference (powered by Shipshape), the largest regional conference dedicated to eCommerce, will take place on October 13, 2026, at the Mozaik Event Center in Zagreb.

This year’s conference will once again bring together online store owners and directors, as well as experts in digital marketing, logistics, payments and technology, along with everyone else actively involved in the development of the eCommerce market. Attendance is limited to 500 participants in order to enable high-quality networking and experience sharing. Throughout the full-day program across three stages, attendees can expect presentations, panel discussions and practical case studies, along with numerous opportunities to exchange knowledge and make valuable business connections.

Special emphasis will be placed on high-quality networking, from the EXPO zone, which provides an ideal environment for meeting new people and establishing business connections, to the informal gathering and party after the conference, which will round off the day in a more relaxed atmosphere.

One of the key topics at this year’s conference will be preparing online retailers for Black Friday, the most important sales period of the year. That is why, a month and a half before the most important day in eCommerce, we are bringing leading experts to the CRO Commerce stage for a panel discussion in which they will share their most important advice and experiences.

The panel "How to Prepare for Black Friday 2026" will feature Dijana Kladar, Dario Begonja, Goran Blagus, Marko Pačar, Robert Petković, Aron Stanić and Dino Oreški. From campaign planning and online store optimization to logistics challenges and inventory management, customer experience and performance analysis, conference participants will receive concrete recommendations they can immediately apply to their businesses.

In addition to Black Friday, the conference program will cover a range of current topics related to digital marketing, logistics and delivery, payment solutions, legal and regulatory issues, eCommerce accounting, and the application of artificial intelligence in online retail.

Special attention will be given to the increasingly important role of people in the era of AI automation, including how to use artificial intelligence effectively while maintaining creativity, strategic thinking and high-quality relationships with customers.

The program is already almost fully defined and will be published shortly. All information about tickets is available on the official conference website conference website.

Partners of this year’s conference include Manago AI, Fastserver.hr, Monri, Sirvis, SalesSnap, Box Now, Meraxes, Lesnina, Marker, euShipments.com Croatia, Hisense and many others, while Shipshape is the conference’s main partner for the second consecutive year.

Selling a Business Is Not a Sign of Failure

"We see CRO Commerce as a place where retailers, technology companies and agencies can move beyond general discussions about trends and talk about what is actually happening in their businesses. This year, we are particularly interested in AI and how its widespread availability will change the way we develop eCommerce and software. If tomorrow you can build an application faster and at a lower cost than today, technology itself will no longer be what sets you apart from the competition. The difference will increasingly come down to how well you understand your customer, how well your processes work, how good your data is, and whether you know how to turn all of that into business value," says Ernest Antolović, Partner at Shipshape.

However, CRO Commerce will also address a number of other topics important for the future of eCommerce, including the sale of eCommerce businesses. Selling an online store is by no means necessarily a sign of failure. On the contrary, it can be confirmation that an owner has built a high-quality, profitable and sufficiently valuable business that attracts potential buyers.

Andrija Čolak, entrepreneur and business broker with many years of experience in eCommerce, will address one of the questions many online store owners are thinking about but rarely discuss publicly: how much is their eCommerce business actually worth, and what does the sales process look like?

As the keynote speaker at CRO Commerce 2026, Čolak will discuss what buyers look at when assessing a business, how valuation is determined, which figures and indicators have the greatest impact on the price, and where owners most often make mistakes when deciding to sell their business. Particular emphasis will be placed on the role of the business broker in connecting buyers and sellers and helping ensure that the transaction is carried out in a structured and professional manner.

"A good eCommerce business is not simply one that generates good profits today, but one that is sufficiently strong and scalable to attract potential buyers," Čolak points out.

A major new feature of this year’s conference is the Zoyya meeting app, which will allow participants to easily schedule meetings with speakers. In addition, the EXPO AWARDS program will give one lucky winner an interactive display worth €3,000, courtesy of main sponsor Hisense.

Save October 13 for a Full Day of eCommerce and a Party for All Participants

The conference will be opened by Marcel Majsan, President of eCommerce Hrvatska, followed by a full-day program across three stages featuring an exchange of ideas and practical knowledge, as well as numerous opportunities to meet new people, connect and develop business partnerships.

Be part of the eCommerce community, meet the people shaping the market and discover new opportunities for growing your business!

The conference can be attended exclusively in person. The ticket price is €250 and includes lunch and cocktails at the party. More information is available on the official conference website.