GUS has just published fresh retail sales data. Below is a comment prepared by Miłosz Mickiewicz, Sales & Business Development Director at Comperia.pl Group. If you have any further questions for the expert, please feel free to reach out — we can arrange an interview or provide follow-up insights.
According to the latest GUS data, retail sales in September increased by 6.4% year-on-year but declined by 2.7% month-on-month. The situation looks more favorable in online commerce. In e-commerce, sales grew by more than 8% both compared to last year and versus August (8.8% y/y and 8.5% m/m, respectively).
For the first time in nine months, the share of online sales in total retail sales has also increased — reaching 9%. This is a long-awaited rebound after a period of consistent declines.
This can be seen as a signal that e-commerce is emerging from its correction phase and entering a new stage of steady growth. Digital retail is maturing — it is no longer driven primarily by the growing number of buyers, but by a shift in basket structure and more frequent purchases in high-budget categories.
A strong example is the category “motor vehicles, motorcycles, and parts,” where online sales surged by as much as 464% year-on-year and 44% month-on-month. Significant growth is also visible in “food, beverages, and tobacco products” (55% y/y and 4.3% vs. August).
Such figures suggest that consumers are returning to online shopping not only for electronics and apparel, but also for high-value goods and everyday essentials. This is an encouraging sign as we approach the end of the year — especially ahead of the November sales peak.
