Polish Consumers’ Online Shopping Habits

The Polish ecommerce market was estimated at $11.1 billion at the end of 2017 and is expected to
reach $13.8 billion in 2018 and $17 billion by 2020 according to export.gov. These double digit
annual returns make Poland one of fastest developing ecommerce markets in Europe.
So, what are Polish consumers shopping for, and what do they love or hate?

In this SAP Consumer Propensity Study, we surveyed 1,000 Polish shoppers on their online shopping behaviours,
including their motivation to purchase online, as well as reasons for abandoning their shopping carts altogether.
Fashion is by far the most popular category, with more than 8 in 10 respondents purchasing clothes and accessories
online. Although they are comfortable buying online, nearly half of them still wish to visit a physical shop before
making a final purchase decision, signifying a need for a strong, integrated omnichannel presence.
However, as a growing market, logistic concerns are prevalent. Around half of Polish consumers abandoned their
baskets due to high shipping costs and two fifths due to out of stock items.

What are consumers in Poland buying online? Polish consumers’ wish list

60%
Travel (flights, hotel, tours)

83% 49% 47% 33%

Fashion (clothes, Entertainment Comparison tools AR or VR technologies
accessories, shoes) experiences (tickets to visualise
for concerts) products better

50% 65% 38%

Digital goods Groceries and Receive different
consumer packaged sizes / types for trial
goods (bath, hair, pet 49%
supplies) Physical store

57% 49% 62%

Financial products (insurance, loans) Furniture Easy exchange/ return

Shopping basket abandonment frequency index Suggested recommendations don’t work

36% 20% Only 27% are interested

Never - I always Sometimes
follow through with in suggested recommendations at
my purchase least half the time, despite 95% of
them recalling seeing such
recommendations. One likely reason
34% 10% is that the recommendations are not
Seldom Almost all/ relevant (see tips on next page).
Half the time

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Polish shoppers are most comfortable buying the On the flipside, they abandon these types of goods
following online (purchases are checked out in a day): half the time or all the time:

81%
87% Entertainment 11%
Furniture
Groceries and experiences 10%
consumer packaged (tickets for concerts) Digital goods
goods (bath, hair,
pet supplies)
81% 12%
Fashion Financial Products
(insurance, loans)
ADD TO CART EMPTY CART

How long do they let items sit in their basket before they decide whether to click ‘purchase’?

75% Within a day 25% A day or more

46% 18% 11% 12% 6% 7%

Within the hour/ immediately 1 to 6 hours 6 hours 1 to 6 days A More than
to a day week a week

What will drive them to click ‘purchase?’ Why do they abandon their shopping baskets?

47% 40% 48%

Discount/ promotion Quick response Shipping costs were
notification to queries higher than expected

33% 41% 30%

Notification of Product out Shipping time is
discount with of stock longer than expected
another purchase

3 tips from SAP Customer Experience to provide Polish consumers an exceptional online
shopping experience:

1 Contextual offers and 2 Gain trust with your returns 3 Omnichannel. Omnichannel,
recommendations policy Omnichannel
Polish consumers love to be informed Like their European neighbours, Polish Polish consumers want a seamless
about deals. 95% of shoppers report consumers ranked easy return and shopping experience – meaning they
seeing recommendations while exchange processes as the top item on don’t make distinctions for channels or
shopping, but only 27% of them find their wish list for better online platforms – they are only focused on
these suggestions relevant. shopping experiences. their experience with a brand as an
entirety.
Retailers need to apply contextual While facilitating easy returns or
marketing, leveraging analytics exchanges may increase operational In fact, half of Polish consumers wish
and machine learning algorithms costs in the short term, instilling a to visit a physical store and a third are
to anticipate behaviours and sense of confidence in customers can eager to embrace AR and VR
understand intent, while reap high dividends and pay off in the technologies. To meet expectations, an
communicating relevant long run. Nearly two-thirds of Polish end-to-end customer experience
information to consumers to consumers indicated this will create a solution that connects and integrates
encourage them to complete positive experience. all the customer touchpoints – from
purchases. the marketing promotion to the sale to
after sales service – is needed.

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© 2018 SAP SE or an SAP affiliate company. All rights reserved.