73% of Polish internet users shop online. According to this year’s IGE report, their number increased by 11 percent year on year. See what other changes have taken place in the Polish e‑commerce market over the last year, and adapt your business to the trends and preferences of shoppers.
What changes did the pandemic bring to Polish e‑commerce in 2020?
3. 6. 2021
5 minutes read
73% of Polish internet users shop online. According to this year’s IGE report, their number increased by 11 percent year on year. See what other changes have taken place in the Polish e‑commerce market over the last year, and adapt your business to the trends and preferences of shoppers.
Shopping in foreign online stores is gaining in popularity
72% of Polish Internet users shop in local online stores. Compared to last year, however, the number of Poles who made purchases from foreign websites increased. It shows insufficient supply and quality of local online stores.
If you are considering how to improve your services, we have a few tips for you:
- Support popular and secure payment methods. Online card payment is currently the basis. The use of the Blik service is popular among online stores.
- Offer contactless shipping. Paczkomats is the fastest growing form of order delivery for their safety and environmental friendliness.
- Advertise on local comparison engines. More and more purchasing decisions are made in the product comparison phase. Don’t just wait for the user to come to your store.
- Take advantage of discount promotions. During the year, prepare attractive discounts, about which you will sufficiently inform shoppers. Work with both discounts for regular customers and new ones.
- Don’t underestimate social networks. At present, they are no longer just lifestyle media but also marketplaces with growing interest for users.
- Make shopping easier with modern methods. One of the most common is to securely remember data from forms, which speeds up further purchases.
- Offer quality processes when returning goods. Prolonged complaints often lead to a reduction in the attractiveness of the online store.
- Track site visitor traffic. If you find defects, correct them as soon as possible. It will prevent you from leaving the store before completing your purchase.
- Be actively interested in feedback. The user can tell you some information what the traffic tracking tools don’t tell you.
Focus on customer needs
Internet shoppers’ preferences change. To gain or maintain market leadership, you need to understand and work well with them. We see this especially in the case of contactless delivery of goods, which has positively affected access to technology for older generations of shoppers.
PwC conducted a detailed study of consumer behavior before and after a pandemic. It makes it easier for online store operators and marketers to understand how their customers’ lives have changed and what they currently expect from products and services.
Among other things, this study says that:
- 36% spend more on media and entertainment
- 35% buy groceries online
- 49% are open to sharing their data under certain conditions
- 74% work from home for at least some time
A recent consumer survey shows that more than 74% of Poles will still shop online after the pandemic ends. Compared to Western European countries, Poland still has a relatively small number of online stores. Therefore, there is still plenty of space in its e‑commerce market. Be clear on how to prepare your online store and join successful retailers.
What to focus on in 2021 when selling online in Poland
In 2020, almost 11,800 online stores were created, but more than 5,000 also suspended their activities. As a result, some online stores have been able to adapt to a pandemic situation, and some have not. It means that a certain group of consumers with a negative experience may question the benefits of digital shopping. So how to run an online store and what to pay special attention to?
Computers vs. smartphones in Poland
Poles most often use a laptop for electronic shopping (74%).
Then:
2. smartphone (61%)
3. desktop computer (54%)
4. tablet (27%)
5. e‑book reader (3%)
Although shopping via a smartphone is still in second place in Poland, don’t forget to optimize your website for a smartphone interface. It will reach more users and significantly increase your chances of getting better search results.
Accelerating online shopping affects delivery quality requirements
The increasing pace of life and the ability to shop at any time means that customers want to receive the ordered goods faster.
- 36% of surveyed Poles expect delivery the day after placing the order.
- 35% of respondents would like to have the purchased goods within two days from the transaction.
- 11% of respondents would like to receive their purchase on the day of the order.
What are the most popular courier services in Poland:
- DPD (26 %)
- DHL (25 %)
- InPost (15 %)
- none of the listed companies(13 %)
- Pocztex (10 %)
- GLS (5 %)
- UPS (4 %)
- FedEx (2 %)
Card payments gradually overrun cash on delivery
Compared to traditional purchases, Poles perceive electronic shopping as cheaper and more advantageous. It also provides them with multiple delivery and payment methods. Although cash on delivery is still the most commonly used payment in Poland, customers are increasingly using automatic online payments.
The most popular online payment methods in Poland are:
- Instant online transfers — Pay-by-link
- Visa or Mastercard credit cards
- eRaty and Przelewy24 “Buy now — pay later”
- BLIK and mobile payments
Where Poles are most looking for inspiration for shopping
Right behind the use of social media, Poles are inspired to buy goods on comparison engines. Therefore, even in Poland, it is often not enough to run an online store but also to advertise on local comparison engines.
What are the most popular Polish comparison engines:
With Mergado, you can set up advertising for well-known Polish formats yourself
Are you considering expanding to the Polish online market? With Mergado, you can convert the formats you use to the ones you currently need. With our virtual administrator, you can automatically manage data feeds. In Mergado, you can manage store advertising yourself. It will speed up daily marketing tasks and save costs for the work of programmers.
Postnord’s Europe 2020 e‑Commerce report shows that Polish e‑commerce is developing very dynamically. It is, therefore, still a suitable environment for the expansion of professional online stores. Find out what habits local consumers acquired during a pandemic, start your business according to current trends.
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Lukáš Horák
Lukáš takes care of most of the Czech and English communication in Mergado. Through blogs, e‑mail, and social networks, he regularly supplies readers with e‑commerce news and news and tips from Mergado. In his time off, he enjoys simple things like badminton, digging the hidden gems of the 80’s, and seafood served with red wine.