With the Polish ecommerce marketplace currently estimated at $11.1 billion, and expected to reach $17 billion by 2020, Poland is indeed a lucrative marketplace to consider selling in.

What’s more, with double digit growth (an average of 25-30%) year on year and 27.8 million internet users, Poland is one of the fastest growing ecommerce markets in Europe.

So precisely, what do you need to know when it comes to selling in Poland? And which Polish ecommerce websites should you be listing your products on? 

In this article, we have compiled together a list of the top Polish online marketplaces to consider selling on, in order to enable you to expand your online business. 

What are the top Polish marketplaces to sell on?

Below, you’ll find a brief discussion of seven Polish marketplaces that are primed well for international expansion.

Allegro

Commission: Different for each product category
Active users: 16 million
Monthly fee: None

Allegro is by far the most well-known marketplace in Poland. It possesses more than 50% of the market share – a dominant position likely to be due to its early market launch in 1999.

The marketplace claims to have over 16 million active users and is thought to be the fifth most popular website in Poland, and is Europe’s fifth largest marketplace.

Similar to eBay, Allegro was established as a typical auction site, but within the last few years it has been transformed into an official marketplace.

Allegro hosts a wide variety of online retail businesses who offer all types of consumer goods and services – much like Amazon does nowadays. Some of the most popular product categories include: 

• Electronics (62%)
• Home and Garden (74%)
• Fashion (46%) 

According to one study, 75% of Polish survey respondents who were asked to name an online store placed Allegro first. As the first choice for online shopping in Poland, awareness of the marketplace is as high as 98%. 

Keep in mind that should you choose to sell on Allegro, language will be your biggest barrier. As a native Polish marketplace, your product descriptions and any accompanying information will need to be translated into Polish.

Ceneo

Commission: Different for each product category
Active users: 15 million
Monthly fee: None

As the second largest marketplace in Poland, Ceneo is based on a price comparison service and comprises of more than 15 million users and 18,000 online retail businesses in Poland.

Ceneo enables buyers to compare millions of products and complete purchases through a virtual cart that is similar to a “buy it now” option. 

Customers can also learn about their products, quality of customer service and the delivery company before making a purchase through the marketplace.

As an added layer of security, Ceneo also has a Trusted Opinions Ranking which indicates the online shops with the highest rates of trust by other shoppers. 

Chrono24

Commission: 3-5%
Active users: 10 million
Monthly fee: €69-€1999

Chrono24 is a Polish marketplace that was formed in 2003 and that specializes in the buying and selling of luxury watches. It has trustworthy buyers from over 90 different countries.

What’s more, there are more than 10,000 professional dealers and private sellers from around the world selling watches on the marketplace. 

With content in 22 languages and a website that attracts more than 350,000 visitors every day, Ceneo is a highly lucrative marketplace for sellers who specialize in selling watches.

Showroom

Commission: Unknown
Active users: Unknown
Monthly fee: Unknown

Formed in 2012, the Showroom is an online selling platform that brings together carefully selected Polish clothing brands and European designers.

The marketplace is fairly unique, in that while fashion sellers manage their store themselves, Showroom deals with the promotion and advertising of all online goods.

The marketplace is essentially a sales agent between the clothing company and the customer, being responsible for reaching potential customers, advertising and logistic support.

After a purchase has been made, Showroom will then inform the seller for the item to be sent via the services of their logistic partners and the seller will receive money for the order within 14 days from delivery.

Domodi

Commission: Unknown
Active users: Unknown
Monthly fee: Unknown

Domodi is a fashion and lifestyle search engine that operates with hundreds of online stores. Effectively, it is a virtual shopping center that enables customers to find products and then redirects buyers to an online retail business’s website. 

In order to start selling on Domodi, you simply fill out a registration form and then receive the website’s financial terms and are given a business account with the marketplace.

However, unlike Showroom, Domodi’s team will take care of assigning your products to the appropriate categories and you have no official store – just a business account. 

Empik

Commission: Dependent on product category
Active users: 3.3 million
Monthly fee: None 

Empik’s online store has been active since 1998 to supply the Polish market with products related to culture, knowledge and entertainment. Since opening the online marketplace, Empik also sells products related to the electronics, home & garden and health & beauty. 

There are 3.3 million active users of the Empik program, and the online marketplace sees an average of 17 million site visitors every month, making it a great opportunity for cross-border trade. 

Empik has a commission-based billing model, with no additional costs incurred

Each product category has its own commission grid and these fees differ dependent on the type of product being sold.

eBay Poland

Commission: 2.7%-10%
Active users: Unknown
Monthly fee: €21.73-€391.30

It may come as a surprise, but eBay’s Polish marketplace only plays a very minor role in Polish ecommerce, having entered the market in 2005.

Here, you can sell a wide variety of products or services that you would sell on any other typical eBay site. It is interesting to note that eBay’s biggest rival, Amazon, has chosen not to open a marketplace in the same territory. 

Tips for selling in the Polish ecommerce market

Native translation is a must.

To sell in Poland successfully, keep in mind that you will need to translate your listings in the Polish language. You may need to use an international translation service such as InterCultural Elements or you could hire your own native-speaking Polish translator. 

When expanding your business overseas, the last thing you will want to do is create cultural barriers or misunderstandings. Selling in Poland requires native-speaking translation or similar services, so that you can build strong relationships with your Polish customer base.

Alternatively, a more realistic approach for your business may be through use of a customer support helpdesk that integrates with online marketplaces, such as xSellco eDesk, which automatically translates incoming and outgoing messages on your behalf. 

Make return policies and delivery expectations clear.

In keeping with other ecommerce markets, nearly 60% of Polish online consumers rank clear information about procedures for returns as “very important.”

Make sure that when translating your product descriptions that you also cover other bases, such as your returns policy and expected delivery timeframes. Both of these factors can play a big role in a consumer’s decision-making process when making a purchase.

In order to achieve success in the Polish market, you’ll need to have a great returns policy, fast delivery and a good level of customer support in Poland’s native language. 

Pricing is a competitive factor

Consider your prices and therefore your potential for entering Poland’s ecommerce market.

As many online marketplaces also double up as price comparison websites in Poland, you can be sure that you’ll need to be competitive with your prices in order to secure sales.

In fact, according to an interview with Piotr Szczepaniak, Managing Partner for ecommerce Capitals, over 75% of Polish customers pay close attention to price range and price remains a particularly important factor for those who are 29 or below. 

Interestingly, customers within the age range of 50+ will focus more on product descriptions rather than the price and affordability when making final purchase decisions, making native product transcriptions a must-have when targeting this audience.

Consider inventory management software

As your business expands across multiple marketplaces across the world, it is extremely challenging to remain in full control of your business and its operations. As such, an integral piece of software worth considering is an automated inventory management system.

Such a solution enables you to sell across hundreds of marketplaces and ecommerce platforms all from one centralized location. Plus, it automatically updates and synchronizes your inventory levels so that you’re never at risk of a stock out or overselling.

There are numerous opportunities to help scale your business with the use of inventory management software. From enhancing your efficiency to streamlining your order management and maximizing your profitability, the benefits of multichannel inventory and order management software are huge and plenty.

Research your opportunities

When it comes to international expansion in Poland, completing your research is essential to see success in this market. It’s also crucial to research your target demographic in Poland, who are mostly price-conscious, and weigh up your options for expanding internationally.

As one of the fastest-growing ecommerce markets, Poland is certainly an excellent choice to consider selling in and there are huge benefits on each of the marketplaces listed in this article; especially if you sell in the fashion, home and garden or electronics retail categories.

Curious about expanding into additional European markets? Check out your opportunities for cross-border selling in France, Germany and Spain.