In early 2025, Mihai launched his first dropshipping store in Romania with just €300. Eighteen months later, he was processing over 1,200 orders per month across five Eastern European countries, generating €50,000 in monthly revenue. This is his story — and the playbook behind it.
Starting with the Right Market
Mihai chose Romania for one simple reason: cash on delivery (COD) dominates. Unlike Western markets where card payments are universal, Romanian, Bulgarian, and Albanian shoppers still strongly prefer COD. This creates a higher conversion barrier for sellers unfamiliar with the region — but a massive opportunity for those who know how to handle it.
His first winning product? A portable neck fan sourced from AliExpress for €5, sold for €22. The math was simple: 70% gross margin, €4.50 CPA on Facebook, and a market just entering summer with no dominant brand. He launched three creatives, spent €50 testing, and found a winner within 48 hours.
The key insight: Eastern European consumers respond to problem-solution ads far better than lifestyle aspirational content. Show them the problem, show them the solution, give them a clear CTA — and the COD checkbox seals it.
The Fulfillment Problem (and How He Solved It)
Early on, Mihai faced the classic dropshipping wall: shipping times. Chinese suppliers took 15–25 days, and his refund rate climbed above 18%. Customers who ordered COD simply refused delivery after waiting that long.
The turning point came when he partnered with a local fulfillment partner through Trackify. Orders were now shipped from a Romanian warehouse — delivery in 2–3 business days. His refund rate dropped to 4.2%. His COD acceptance rate hit 87%.
“The product was never the issue,” he told us. “The fulfillment was. Once I fixed delivery speed, everything clicked.” This is the reality of scaling COD dropshipping in Eastern Europe: logistics infrastructure is the competitive moat.
Scaling to 5 Countries
With Romania profitable, Mihai expanded to Bulgaria, then Poland, then Albania and Kosovo. Each market had its quirks:
- Bulgaria: Facebook ads in Bulgarian perform 40% better than in English.
- Poland: Higher order values — Poles will pay €25–30 for quality vs €18 in RO.
- Albania/Kosovo: Smaller market but virtually zero competition. CPAs of €2–3 achievable.
Total monthly ad spend at peak: €8,200. Revenue: €51,400. Net profit: ~€14,000/month. A real business, built in under 18 months, by one person.
The Trackify Advantage
Mihai credits three things: local fulfillment partners, automated order routing, and real-time analytics. “I used to check 6 different dashboards. Now I see everything in one place.”
Start here: become a local fulfillment partner or create your free Trackify account today.
Ready to build your own success story?
Start Free on Trackify | Become a Fulfillment Partner