E-commerce corporate development strategies in Poland

The Polish e-commerce sector has been showing a strong upward trend for several years now. The COVID-19 pandemic has only accelerated it and has made the year 2020 very special as new opportunities open up. Decisions on the distribution of products and services through electronic channels have been made faster, and for some companies the launch of online sales has become a condition for survival.

This report describes key success factors, trends and challenges accompanying the development of this market. The data and opinions presented can be a valuable source of information both for companies already operating in the e-commerce market and for those just considering launching this distribution channel.

Key Issues

1. 2020 Business Transformation

The rapid acceleration of sales in the e-commerce channel is the most important business transformation of the last year. This change is particularly important due to its exceptional momentum and broad reach. Revenues of the world's largest e-commerce companies rose in Q3 2020 by about 30% yoy while in other sectors – even technological ones – the rate of growth was significantly weaker. At the same time, trade plays such an important role in the economy that the transformation covered a large part of the corporate sector.

2. Record-High Performance of the E-commerce Industry in Poland

According to our estimates for 2020, the value of the e-commerce market in Poland amounted to as much as PLN 70 bn. After many years of growth at a rate well below 20 percent per year, the period of COVID-19 epidemic has brought an almost threefold acceleration (to 43 percent yoy). A part of this extraordinary growth will certainly be temporary. But we believe that even after the epidemic, e-commerce sales will still be about 10-20% higher than in the scenario of the market development without the impact of COVID-19.

3. Principal Market Changes

One of the most important changes in online commerce during the COVID-19 epidemic is the accelerated modernisation of sales channels among the leaders of traditional brick and mortar trade. While for the largest technology giants 2020 has produced tailwinds, it has become a real breakthrough for traditional companies. They have begun to catch up in technological terms and, paradoxically, they can benefit the most from turbulence associated with the epidemic.

4. Recommendations

Two areas are crucial for effective operations in the e-commerce market: resources (technologies, logistics, competences) and economies of scale. In this report, we present nine recommendations contributing to the development of both those areas. Our suggestions can be valuable and useful both for the market leaders and for new entrants as well.

 

We invite you to download the report, which is a guide to the world of e-commerce, while being a helpful tool when planning your strategy related to the presence on the e-commerce market.

The report is intended for both companies already operating on the e-commerce market and those planning to sell using the online channel.

The publication under the patronage of The Chamber of Electronic Economy.

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