Google Shopping Ads expand into 15 new European markets – what it means for your growth

Phase 1: September 2026 – 14 new markets go live

From September 2026, Shopping Ads will launch in the following countries:

• Cyprus
• Luxembourg
• Moldova
• North Macedonia
• Malta
• Liechtenstein
• Bulgaria
• Croatia
• Lithuania
• Serbia
• Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Montenegro
• Estonia
• Latvia

Language support in Phase 1

Most markets will launch in English first. Some countries will get local-language support right from the start:

• Cyprus: Greek and Turkish
• Luxembourg: French and German
• Moldova: Romanian

Important for planners

Google expects the first live experiments to begin as early as July 2026. Testing early gives you a genuine data advantage.

Phase 2: March 2027 – full localization and Slovenia

In the second step (target launch: March 2027), every Phase 1 market will be equipped with full local-language support. That covers:

• Bulgarian
• Croatian
• Lithuanian
• Serbian
• Estonian
• Latvian

Slovenia as the 15th market

At the same time, Slovenia joins the programme as the 15th new country.

What does this mean for your campaign strategy?

For ecommerce companies and agencies that want to grow in Central and Eastern Europe, this is one of the most significant expansions in years. Concretely, three opportunities stand out.

1. Early market access before the competition

CPCs in new markets are typically lower at the start because fewer advertisers are active. Joining in Phase 1 lets you gather data more cheaply and optimize feed structures before competition picks up.

2. Capture peak season

Phase 1 starts in September 2026 – meaning the new markets are available right before Black Friday and the Christmas season. That is ideal for shops with a strong Q4 focus.

3. Feed quality is decisive

During the initial phase without local language, English-language content is accepted. By Phase 2 localization at the latest, titles, descriptions and attributes should be available in each country's language – the earlier you start, the better.

CSS requirements: what you need to know

One important point often overlooked during expansion: to run Shopping Ads in the new markets, you must meet the CSS (Comparison Shopping Service) requirements in each individual country.

Across the EU, the Google Shopping policy mandates that Shopping Ads be delivered through a qualified CSS partner. The same applies to all new markets that fall under the regulated EU CSS framework.

What that means: check early whether your current CSS partner covers the new countries. As a Google Premier Partner, we can help you coordinate CSS coverage and campaign setup for the new markets seamlessly.

Checklist: how to prepare

• Audit your product feed: are all required attributes complete and correct?
• Define target countries: which of the 15 new markets are relevant for your assortment and margins?
• Confirm CSS coverage: does your CSS partner cover the new countries?
• Plan localization: commission translations for Phase 2 (March 2027) early.
• Reserve budget: plan Q4 2026 test budget for the new markets.
• Conversion tracking: make sure tracking and landing pages are correctly configured for the new regions.

Bottom line

Google Shopping Ads expanding into 15 new European markets is a real growth opportunity – especially for shops that have so far focused on Western Europe. The combination of early entry, lower initial CPCs and timing just before peak season makes 2026 a strategically important year.

Whoever sets the course now – product feed, CSS, localization, budget – will be able to capitalize on the September launch before most competitors react.