Poland is a Central European country with access to The Baltic Sea. It borders Russia (with its Kaliningrad Oblast), Lithuania, Belarus, Ukraine, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, and Germany.
Poland is a member of NATO and the European Union. The administrative area of Poland is 312,696 km², which gives it 69th place in the world and 9th in Europe. Over 38,1 million people inhabit it. Its largest city and capital are Warsaw. In this article, you’ll discover a few things about Polish e-commerce. Let’s begin with our quick overview.
Polish ecommerce overview
Revenue in the Polish ecommerce market is forecasted to reach US$14,423m by the end of this year. The annual growth rate is at the level of 8.78%, and thanks to this, in five years, the market volume is projected to reach US$20,196m. This year user penetration may reach 55.6%, and by the end of 2025, it is forecasted to amount to 57.4%. As a result, the average revenue per user (ARPU) is expected to hit US$686.78.
Poland’s GDP grew by 2.10 percent in the third quarter of 2021 over the previous quarter – GDP (nominal) per capita is 13,823 US$. Although Poland is the 8th most populous country in the EU, its GDP per capita is significantly lower than the average in the EU. Coal, textiles, chemicals, machinery, iron, and steel sectors make up most of the country’s industrial base, which has recently been expanded to include fertilizers, petrochemicals, machine tools, electrical machinery, electronics, cars, and shipbuilding.
When it comes to the most significant segments in Polish ecommerce, the top products and categories include electronics, tickets, culture, clothing, and sports.
source:https://merchants.glopal.com/en-au/sell-online/poland
What are Polish favorite ecommerce stores? The first place belongs to Allegro.pl – it’s an e-commerce platform. Next is Ceneo.pl, also a website from the e-commerce industry. Then come Euro.com.pl, and Mediaexpert – Polish and German retail network offering consumer electronics, TV sets and audio/video devices, large and small household appliances, etc. Finally, Zalando.pl takes fifth place. It’s a German online store selling mainly footwear, clothing, watches, and jewelry.
source:https://merchants.glopal.com/en-au/sell-online/poland
Consumer behaviour in Poland
In 2021, the most significant driver to buy online for customers in Poland was the availability of products throughout the day (76% of customers) and no need to drive to the store to do shopping (73% of customers). It seems pretty understandable since the Pandemic closed us all in homes. Next is an unlimited time of choice (67% of customers), more attractive prices (65% of customers), and the ability to shop when stationery stores are closed (62% of customers).
source: https://www.statista.com/statistics/958932/poland-motivation-to-shop-online/
Also, in 2021, respondents in Poland stated that they preferred cheaper delivery costs rather than cheaper online product prices.
Polish payments method
In 2021, 36% of total eCommerce purchases will be paid by Bank transfer. Poland’sIt’s important in Poland top online payment methods in Poland include transfer through a payment service, traditional transfer, and cash on delivery. It’s important in Poland to provide their customers (and potential ones) with payment methods of their preference. In many cases, if online shoppers can’t find their preferred or trusted payment methods during checkout, they will abandon the shopping cart entirely.
source:https://merchants.glopal.com/en-au/sell-online/poland
Internet users in Poland
In Poland, there are over 28,8 mln Internet users, and Internet penetration is 78%. Smartphone penetration is 63.40%, with 24,431,000 users.
In 2020, 90.4% of all households and 99.5% of households with children had internet access, according to the Polish Statistical Office. A total of 67.7% used fixed broadband access, and 66.7% used mobile access, up from 86.7%, 62.3%, and 54.3%, respectively, in 2019. In addition, approximately 83% of Polish internet users shopped online in 2020, an increase of 10% over the previous year, but still below the EU average of 90%.
Most active buyers live in large cities or villages and are between 29 and 49 years old. Poland’s buyers use price-comparison services in more than 70% of cases, and the average online shopper spends about $80 a month.
Poland’s e-consumers value regional e-commerce solutions, such as Allegro and local shops, and most online shopping still takes place locally. However, cross-border online shopping accounts for 30% of all online transactions due to customer-friendly regulations and decreasing delivery costs.
The number of internet users in Poland from 2016 to 2021 is above. In the observed period, the number of internet users in Poland increased and reached 28.8 million in 2021.
source: https://www.statista.com/statistics/955204/poland-internet-users/
Logistics in Poland
Poland is strategically positioned. The Baltic Sea connects it with the Scandinavian countries. This makes transport in this part of Europe much more accessible.
Furthermore, logistics operators who have worked with brick-and-mortar retailers are expanding their services to attract new customers. Also, developers are becoming more aware of the unique needs of e-commerce clients, tailoring existing and new schemes to meet those needs, and focusing on technologies, automation, and robotics to improve efficiency and optimize warehouse processes. The expectation that last-mile deliveries will be shorter increases the demand for urban logistics space in large cities.
Logistics operators implement specialized warehouse systems and use high-tech and IT solutions to ensure comprehensive supply chain management. As a result, Polish businesses no longer issue inventory documents on paper, and customers are automatically notified of estimated delivery times and current parcel locations.
To sum up
Poland’s e-commerce industry will continue to grow exponentially. Despite rapid growth over the past few years, its needs have not been fully met. New warehouses and distribution centers are expected to be built across Poland in the coming years, especially in Warsaw’s suburbs, central and western Poland. Even small and medium-sized enterprises, which have relied on schemes that serve offline retailers, will invest in new developments.
If you are also interested in other markets in this part of Europe, we recommend reading texts about Estonia and Russia!
