Polish Online Shop – Where Do Poles Buy Online? 

The e-commerce market in Poland is one of the fastest developing e-commerce markets. With over 38 million inhabitants, around 83% of the population has access to the Internet. Each year, the number of people doing their shopping online increases. Discover the most popular Polish online shops and marketplaces.

Polish Online Shoppers - Who Are They?

Poles buy clothes, shoes, books, CDs, cosmetics, electronic devices, and event tickets online. Compared to previous years, in 2020, there was a significant increase in expenditure on groceries, interior design (including furniture), and decoration products. Unsurprisingly, experts associate this trend with the current COVID-19 pandemic. The important thing is that the pandemic convinced Poles that shopping online is safe.

According to the Omni-commerce report from June 2020 (unfortunately, it is only available in Polish):

• 83% of Poles have access to the Internet.
• 72% of Polish Internet users buy online (3 times as much as in 2019!).
• 1 in 4 of them shop online more than five times a month.
• Half of the Internet users shop online on their laptops. The other half uses mobile devices for shopping (be sure to make your website mobile-friendly and responsive!).
• 12% of Polish Internet users shop on foreign websites.

72% of Polish Internet users who shop online make up more than 27 million potential customers. This number includes people from different age groups, among them seniors. However, the largest group is people aged 35 to 49, primarily residents of large cities (with over 200,000 inhabitants). Mobile devices are more likely to be used by women; the youngest Internet users are in the 15-24 age group.

Why Do Poles Love Online Shopping, and What Do They Buy?

The most important reason Poles shop in online stores is saving time and money. If you want to grab a piece of this market, you must be quick.  Over 80% of Polish buyers expect their goodies to arrive within 24 hours.  You can also offer a free return policy, competitive shipping prices, lower costs, and various discounts to encourage shopping.

Poles buy clothes, shoes, books, CDs, cosmetics, electronic devices, and event tickets online. Compared to previous years, in 2020, there was a significant increase in expenditure on groceries, interior design (including furniture), and decoration products. Unsurprisingly, experts associate this trend with the current COVID-19 pandemic. The important thing is that the pandemic convinced Poles that shopping online is safe. Poles do their shopping mostly on online marketplaces, with Allegro.pl being the competition's unmatched leader.

In online marketplaces in Poland, the most sought-after items are as follows:

Fashion Items (45%)
Electronics (19%)
Toys, Hobby Related Products (15%) 
Furniture and Appliances (11%)
Food and Personal Care Items (10%)

Read my article about the Polish Consumer Outlook for more information on consumer preferences in Poland. 

What Are the Polish Online Marketplaces? 

Poles do their shopping mostly on online marketplaces. Check below which are the most popular.

Allegro, one of the largest e-commerce platforms of European origin, is highly popular in Poland, ranking first in the country's e-commerce and online shopping category and fourth overall. It can compared to eBay abroad. With 221.7 million total visits and annual revenue exceeding $1.0 billion, Allegro hosts over 135,000 merchants, allowing them to list an unlimited number of products. The platform attracts around 22 million customers monthly, offering a wide range of goods. Founded in 1999 by Arjan Bakker it's headquartered in Poznan, Poland. The company's business model focuses on creating a network effect, referred to as “flywheel”, benefiting both buyers and sellers, and generates revenue through third-party transactions.

Ceneo, Poland's second largest online marketplace, ranks first in the e-commerce and online shopping category and 18th overall in the country, with 55.3 million total visits and an annual revenue between $25.0 and $50.0 million. Operating on a price comparison model, Ceneo allows buyers to compare prices for over 5 million products. Like search engines, the website ranks stores based on cost-per-click bids, customer ratings, and product prices. Sellers can use pay-per-click (PPC) strategies to achieve higher rankings. Founded by Marcin Chwalik on February 14, 2005, and headquartered in Wroclaw, Dolnoslaskie, Poland, Ceneo sells a wide range of products, from games to home office supplies. Their business model is based on a prepayment system, where sellers pay in advance for future services, allowing them to manage and adjust their marketing budgets as needed.

Another such marketplace with the domination of second-hand items is OLX, with a total of 113.0 million visits and annual revenue between $2.0 and $5.0 million, ranks second in Poland's e-commerce and online shopping category and ninth in the country overall. Founded in 2006 by Fabrice Grinda and Alec Oxenford, the company is based in Amsterdam, Netherlands, and originated in Argentina. Operating in over 40 countries, OLX is a leader in markets including Poland, Kenya, India, Pakistan, Nigeria, Brazil, Portugal, and the Philippines. 

Regarding the leading online stores in Poland, as of 2023, the top five are mediaexpert.pl, euro.com.pl, zalando.pl, doz.pl, and ikea.com. With mediaexpert.pl leading in revenues, it's clear that these platforms have significantly influenced the Polish e-commerce landscape.

Do Amazon and eBay Exist in Poland?

Amazon's presence in Poland since 2014 has also been noteworthy. It's not just a player in the e-commerce sector but a significant employer and investor, as reported by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. This highlights the growing importance of international e-commerce giants in Poland.

eBay, while present in Poland since 2005, plays a minor role in the Polish e-commerce scene, compared to the US or UK. This platform allows sellers to offer a wide range of products, similar to its international counterparts. However, it hasn't become as popular as some domestic online marketplaces.

However, platforms like Amazon, which have poorly localized their websites in Polish, tend to be less popular in Poland. Polish consumers are increasingly focused on sustainability, especially in fashion. This trend has contributed to the popularity of platforms like Vinted, a second-hand marketplace from Lithuania. Vinted employs skilled translators and places a significant emphasis on the quality of their content in various languages. This attention to language and localization likely plays a role in their success as well.

The Secret Ingredient of Polish E-commerce

The quality of logistics services in Poland is very high. You may outsource all of the steps of the logistics chain, from storage to order processing. The most popular package delivery methods include courier services and parcel machines. Postal services take third place on the podium. Parcel machines (Polish: paczkomaty) are automated parcel collection points. In Poland, more than 7,000 of these machines are spread throughout the country. InPost and Orlen are the big names in this game.

Customers can collect their deliveries on their own 24 hours a day, seven days a week, which is very convenient, and many people choose only this way of delivery. You can even expect your delivery the next day. Pole orders even fresh food products, like vegetables, fruit, or dairy, from an online supermarket and pick them up in a specially prepared box at parcel machines. You can also order a courier to deliver your goodies. 

Build Credibility from the Start in the Polish Market

Research shows that Poles consider online transactions to be safe. The sellers themselves are the primary source of their doubts, so if you want to expand into Poland or have your own Polish online shop, you need to establish your credibility from the very onset of your market presence. A website that speaks to the Polish culture is your golden ticket here.

In summary, the Polish online shopping world is full of opportunities. People here really like buying from local websites and are getting more and more comfortable with shopping online. From food to home goods, and from wholesale to retail, the opportunities are vast. Retailers looking to enter this market should focus on fast delivery, competitive pricing, and a strong online presence to appeal to the Polish consumer. For more information or to engage with an experienced e-commerce translator, feel free to click here and get in touch with me today!