Online retail in Lithuania grows every year. More and more shoppers prefer to order from home — and that creates real opportunities for anyone who wants to start a business. But where do you begin? Which business structure should you choose? What website should you use? Where should you advertise? Let's go through it all, step by step.
Before accepting payments from customers, you need to make your business legal. In Lithuania, three main structures are suitable for online retail.
Individuali veikla (sole trader) — the simplest and fastest way to start. Registered online through the tax authority (VMI) in a single day. Suitable for those starting alone with modest turnover. No share capital required. The downside: full personal liability for business debts and limitations as turnover grows.
MB (Mažoji bendrija — small partnership) — a good option for a small team of 2 to 10 people. Simpler and cheaper to manage than a UAB. No share capital required. Members' liability is limited. Suitable for startups and small businesses with moderate turnover.
UAB (Uždaroji akcinė bendrovė — private limited company) — the most common business structure in Lithuania. More than 90% of all Lithuanian companies are registered as UAB. Minimum share capital is 2,500 euros. Founders' liability is limited to their contribution. Commands the most trust from partners, banks and major suppliers. The optimal choice if you are planning a serious store with growth ambitions.
How to register: submit documents through the Register of Legal Entities (Juridinių asmenų registras). A UAB is registered within 3 to 5 working days. You will need a bank accumulation account to deposit the share capital.
An online store cannot function without the ability to accept payments online. Once your business is registered, open a current account at a bank or payment provider. Popular options in Lithuania include Swedbank, SEB, Luminor, as well as fintech solutions — Paysera, Kevin and Stripe.
To accept card payments on your website, connect a payment gateway. The most convenient for Lithuania: Paysera (a Lithuanian service well suited to small businesses), Stripe (international, integrates seamlessly with most platforms) and Kevin (specialises in bank transfers). PayPal is also worth adding — especially if you plan to serve international customers.
Here you have two paths — rent a platform or install your own engine.
Hosted platforms (SaaS):
Shopify — the global leader in online stores. No technical knowledge required, quick to launch, hosting included in the price. Plans start from 29 € per month. Ideal for those who want to focus on selling rather than the technical side.
Self-hosted platforms:
PrestaShop — a free open-source engine. Flexible, feature-rich and well suited to medium and large stores. You will need separate hosting (from 5 to 10 € per month) and basic technical knowledge or a developer's help.
OpenCart — another popular free solution. Simple to install with a user-friendly interface. Works well for smaller stores. Separate hosting is also required.
Which to choose? If you are just starting out — Shopify or OpenCart will save you time. If you are planning a large catalogue and want full control — PrestaShop.
One website is good. But the more places where your product can be found, the higher your sales. Make sure to list on all available platforms alongside your own store.
skelb24.lt — Lithuania's classifieds board where you can quickly post listings for your products and advertise your store. An excellent tool for getting started: there is already an audience here actively searching for products right now. Particularly effective for testing demand on new items.
Also use: Skelbiu.lt, Aruodas.lt, Facebook Marketplace, Google Shopping and Instagram Shopping. The broader your presence online, the greater the chance that the right buyer finds you.
Your product listing is your salesperson working 24 hours a day. A poor listing means a lost sale. A great one means a closed deal.
A few rules that genuinely work. Photos should be bright, sharp and taken from multiple angles — the buyer needs to see the product as it looks in real life. The title should be specific and clear, with no unnecessary words. The description should answer the key questions: what it is made from, what size it is, what it is suitable for and why the customer should buy from you specifically. The price should be visible immediately, with no hidden conditions.
Invest time in quality photos and copy. It pays back many times over.
One of the most powerful psychological triggers in online retail is free shipping. Shoppers are far more likely to complete a purchase when they see "free delivery" than when an extra line appears on the final screen with a delivery charge.
The solution is simple: build the cost of delivery into the product price. For items priced from 10 euros, this is easy to do without losing your margin. The customer sees a straightforward price and free delivery — and clicks "Buy" much more readily.
Popular delivery options in Lithuania: Omniva, DPD and LP Express — all have convenient APIs for integration with online stores and parcel locker networks across the country.
Launching a store is half the job. The other half is making sure people find out about it.
Google Ads — advertising in search results. Someone searches for your product and sees your store first. High conversion rates because the audience is already ready to buy.
Facebook and Instagram — targeted advertising with precise audience settings by age, interests and behaviour. Works especially well for visual products.
Google Shopping — displays product cards directly in search results with a photo and price. One of the most effective formats for e-commerce.
Email marketing — build your customer list from day one and send them promotions, new arrivals and personalised offers. One of the cheapest channels with a high return.
SEO — optimise your product descriptions and store pages for search engines. Free traffic from Google is the best traffic for long-term growth.
Not sure what to sell? Read our article "Best Products to Sell: What Works and What to Avoid" — we give an honest breakdown of which products deliver stable profit and which niches are best left alone when starting out.
Register as individuali veikla, MB or UAB — depending on your scale. Open an account and connect a payment gateway. Build a website on Shopify, PrestaShop or OpenCart. List products on skelb24.lt and other platforms. Create quality product listings. Include delivery in the price. Launch advertising.
An online store in Lithuania is entirely achievable. The key is to start with the right foundation and not try to make everything perfect from day one. Launch, test, improve. That is exactly how every successful online store works.
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