As you know from our previous article about cross-border strategy, if you want to grow your online store, you should continuously expand your business to other markets. It’s the best way to endure the COVID-19 crisis, which affects almost every country. One of the many countries you should consider is Poland. Why? Chiefly, because the eCommerce market is continually growing here, and Poles definitely prefer to purchase products from stores operating in Poland. Just 26% of Polish customers buy products in foreign online stores! The conclusion is simple–you have to be here if you want to win the e-Commerce in Poland!
Today, it’s easier than ever to scale your eCommerce business to other countries. Global courier services and modern logistic centers make it accessible for every company to start selling their products in literally any country. Think about Poland. This country is in the very center of Europe. The vast majority of Poles (83%) have access to the Internet, and they are keen to shop online. According to Omni-commerce report, published in June 2020, 72% of Polish internet users buy products online. This is a market comprising over 27 million potential customers that is just waiting for you!
To make this endeavor more straightforward, we offer our comprehensive support. First of all, we want to tell you a bit more about the Polish market. Let’s take a look at the latest “E-commerce in Poland 2019” report from the Polish Chamber of Electronic Economic and Gemius Poland. You can download it for free here but mind you: It’s available only in the Polish language version.
Poland: A market with incredible potential
There are a couple of solid reasons why your store should start selling online in Poland:
- 94% of Poles buying online said their financial situation is average or good
- 62% of Poles with access to the Internet buy products online (and this number is growing every year), but only 26% do so in foreign stores. What does it tell you? To increase your sales in Poland, you must be here!
- The largest age group buying online is between 35-49
- 32% of Poles buying online live in big cities (200,000 inhabitants and more)
Every year, more and more Poles purchase products online. Today, it’s 72%. Last year it was 62%, and in 2018 - 56%. Now, what do Poles like to buy online? There are a couple of the most popular e-commerce in Poland:
- Clothing and accessories: 69%
- Footwear: 55%,
- Books, CDs, and films: 54%
- Cosmetics and perfumes: 52%
- Consumer electronics: 49%,
- Tickets: 49%
- Sports clothing: 46%
Where do Poles buy?
When it comes to the Polish market, there is one clear leader. According to another report, Polish Internet users most often use marketplaces (38%). You have to know, however, that it actually means just one platform–Allegro.pl. It’s the unquestionable Polish eCommerce leader which is essentially a Polish Amazon and eBay wrapped into one. Today, Allegro has over 20 million users! Only 15% of respondents go directly to online stores, and just 14% use Google to search for products.
The Gemius report shows the same thing. Allegro is by far the most recognizable eCommerce platform in Poland:
You may also be possibly familiar with OLX. The OLX marketplace is a bit like Craigslist. It’s a platform for buying and selling services and goods locally. Both companies and private sellers use it. It’s commonly used by people who want to sell their electronics, fashion items, furniture, household goods, cars, and bikes. The last place in this diagram is Ceneo. It’s one of the most popular Polish product comparison websites.
How can you conquer the Polish market?
The aforementioned report provides you with a straightforward answer. It contains clear information about factors that are most important when buying online, and common problems Poles encounter when purchasing via the Internet.
Why we buy online:
- For about two-thirds of Poles, buying online very important are prices lower than in the brick-and-mortar stores.
- 75% said they buy online because it’s available 24/7
- 72% said because they don’t have to drive anywhere to buy products
- 68% indicated the unlimited time for thinking
Forms of delivery:
- 58% of respondents choose courier services (delivery either to work or to home)
- 52% indicated paczkomat as a preferred form of delivery. One word of explanation: paczkomat is a self-service parcel pickup station. Currently, there are over 7,000 of them in Poland. Paczkomat allows you to pick up your parcel on your own, 24/7. Today, it’s also one of the cheapest forms of delivery available in Poland (one parcel usually costs no more than 1,80 EUR/8 PLN).
- Only 38% would like to use post services.
- The least popular forms are pickup in the newsstand (23%), at a post office (17%), pickup in store or shopping center (14%).
Forms of payment:
- Instant bank transfers: 66%
- Cash on delivery: 47%
- Traditional money transfer: 46%
- Card payment: 40%
- Mobile payments: 30%
Delivery costs:
- Less than 2 EUR/10 PLN: 23%
- Less than 1 EUR/5 PLN: 54%
- Less than 0,20EUR/1 PLN: 57%
- Should be for free: 43%
Moreover, 85% indicated that they expect delivery in less than 24h.
What encourages poles to buy more:
- Free door-to-door return: 53%
- Lower shipping costs: 55%
- Lower prices: 53%
- Discount codes: 42%
Furthermore, people taking part in this study were asked what problems they have ever encountered when purchasing products online. Here’s what they said:
- 34% - long waiting time for delivery
- 33% - high delivery costs
- 27% - importunate ads of previously viewed articles (apparently, Poles aren’t fans of remarketing)
This is priceless knowledge for you. Thanks to this report, you know what’s essential for Poles when they buy online and what to do to make them happy. All you have to do right now is to implement this knowledge in your store, and you’re in a great position to conquer the Polish market!
The top-level logistics service
Last but not least, there’s the logistics question. As you know from this report, Poles expect cheap and quick delivery. Thankfully, there is a way to ensure it! It’s called order fulfillment, and, basically, it’s a service based on outsourcing of all your logistics processes. This is what we do at Omnipack.
With our help, you don’t even have to run a warehouse! Everything (storing, packaging, shipping) happens in our warehouses. And thanks to advantageous agreements with courier companies, we can provide your customers with the quickest and cheapest delivery available in Poland!
Omnipack is one of just three companies recommended by Allegro.pl as a fulfillment partner, so you can be assured about the top quality of our services!
You now have everything you need to win the Polish market. And, actually, others as well! Omnipack provides cross-border shipping which allows us to serve clients globally. Take your next step here and drop us a line. Working with us is easier than you might think.
