Changing consumer habits in Polish e-commerce increasingly show that the key to success is no longer just low prices but a comprehensive shopping experience. Data from the When U Buy app indicate that although we buy more, products are becoming cheaper, and preferences regarding payment and delivery methods are shifting in new directions.
The average shopping cart value in June was 167 PLN — 11% less than in May. However, this does not mean we are buying less. On the contrary, the number of products per cart increased from 2 to 2.6, and spending per user went up. This is the effect of growing popularity of cheaper products — the average price per item fell by 20% in one month (from 80 PLN to 64 PLN), continuing a trend noticeable since the beginning of the year. In other words, consumers buy more but seek savings.
Along with the increase in the number of products ordered, the return rate also rose — it reached 16% in June, compared to 11% in May. This may indicate more impulsive purchases as well as greater trust in flexible return policies offered by both global platforms and Polish e-shops.
Lower Cart Values, Higher Spending
On Allegro, the average cart value fell by as much as 27% compared to June 2024, reaching 113 PLN. Meanwhile, monthly spending per user increased by 9% month-on-month, indicating more frequent purchases. The average price of a single product was 61 PLN — nearly the same as in May but 30% less than a year earlier. Returns also increased — from 8% to 11%. Payment data are interesting: Allegro Pay accounts for 32% of transactions, Apple Pay for 20%, and BLIK for 23%. Credit cards are losing significance — in June their share dropped to 13%, a decrease of 7 percentage points year-on-year. This payment method still supports a higher average cart value (162 PLN) than Allegro, but here too there is a 9% month-on-month decline. Although users add more products to carts here than anywhere else, monthly spending is nearly half that of Allegro, showing that shopping on Chinese platforms remains occasional rather than systematic. Returns stay stable at 4%, one of the lowest rates on the market.
Logistics and Payments
Parcel lockers remain dominant (52% of all deliveries), but the delivery provider market is changing. Orlen’s share increased dynamically from 2% to 7% year-on-year, DHL from 3% to 8%, while DPD remained stable (11%). Despite a slight decrease in share, InPost remains unrivaled as Poland’s main parcel operator. In payments, BLIK remains the leader, though its share is declining — in June it was 25.2%, down 20% year-on-year. Apple Pay is gaining popularity, exceeding 34% share in June, surpassing credit cards, whose importance continues to wane.
June data confirm consumers are becoming increasingly “smart” — they seek deals, compare prices, and consciously choose delivery and payment methods. The growth in products per cart, combined with falling unit prices and rising returns, shows greater courage in exploring offers but also higher expectations from e-shops. For the industry, this signals that simple price promotions are no longer enough. Service quality, process flexibility, and the ability to meet the needs of increasingly experienced customers matter most, comments Ewa Kraińska, owner of When U Buy.
Although Chinese platforms still enjoy strong interest, their cart stabilization and falling prices may suggest their peak expansion phase is slowly ending. This creates space for Polish e-shops — provided they understand that today “more” does not always mean “more expensive,” and flexibility and user experience matter more than ever.
Source: ceo.com.pl
