Characteristics of the e-commerce market in Poland
Major investments are being made in digital infrastructure. Internet penetration in Poland has grown to over 93 percent for users aged 7 to 75. Easy and affordable access to the internet through multiple tools, comfortable online payment methods, and delivery all drive e-commerce growth and purchases. Ninety-two percent of the Polish population bought goods and services online in 2022. In recent years, average annual per capita spending for online shopping has been increasing in Poland. Another factor that is affecting Polish commerce is new legislation. Online sellers benefit from the 2018 ban on Sunday trading, where most traditional retail operations are closed on official holidays, and as of 2020, the ban expands to cover all Sundays. This situation does not have any influence on e-commerce. It only affects trade in shops and is expected to increase online-based sales even further. The COVID-19 pandemic has positively impacted the e-commerce market, reflected in the increase in sales and the number of newly established online shops.There are a total of 30 million internet users in Poland. More than half of all e-customers use multiple devices for online shopping. The most common equipment used by Polish e-buyers are laptops, personal computers, and smartphones. The number internet users participating in on-line shopping has grown. Over 21.7 million of internet users shopped online in 2022. By 2027, the number of all internet users in Poland who shop online is forecast to increase to over 21.8 million.
Consumer preferences
What do Polish online customers buy, and what are their favorite online shopping platforms? Most online shopping in Poland is done locally. The strongest motivation factors for online shopping were cheaper delivery costs and affordable prices. The most popular products bought online are clothing and accessories, footwear, books, music and movies, and cosmetics. Other popular products include consumer electronics, event tickets, as well as pharmaceutical products. The most popular online store in Poland is Allegro. Allegro is a local online e-commerce platform similar to Amazon, selling all types of products. For all products bought online, Polish e-customers pay through internet banking services. The most popular online payment methods are fast money transfers, BLIK, credit card payments, and traditional transfers.The outlook for the Polish e-commerce market is very optimistic. The increasing number of Internet users, the ban on Sunday trading, the fast-growing Fintech sector, omnichannel, the variety of delivery methods, as well as increasing usage of smartphones in online shopping are the main factors that will affect the dynamic development of the Polish e-market.
