The President of Poland’s Office of Competition and Consumer Protection (UOKiK) ordered a search that—with court approval and in the presence of police—was carried out at Allegro’s headquarters in Poznań and at the company’s offices in Warsaw. The actions were taken as part of an explanatory investigation into a possible breach of competition rules by the operator of Poland’s largest e-commerce platform.
What are the suspicions about?
The inquiry concerns the potential preferential treatment Allegro may be giving to its own delivery methods at the expense of other businesses. In particular, this relates to logistics services offered within Allegro, including deliveries to Allegro One Box parcel lockers and services provided by entities participating in the Allegro Delivery program.
UOKiK has raised concerns about how available delivery options are displayed on the platform. According to the authority, it is possible that default selection mechanisms for pickup points—or the visibility of particular delivery methods—may have favored solutions linked to Allegro while making it harder for consumers to choose alternative courier companies outside the program.
A practical example: changing the default pickup point
UOKiK President Tomasz Chróstny pointed to an example familiar to many platform users. A customer regularly orders items to the same parcel locker, which then automatically appears as the default pickup point in subsequent purchases. At some point, however, the default changes—the system indicates a different pickup point, and the previously used locker becomes harder to find.
Such interface changes and default settings can significantly influence consumer purchasing decisions. In the authority’s view, if these mechanisms lead to systematic preferential treatment of the platform’s own logistics services, they may constitute a breach of competition rules.
UOKiK’s position
“THE SUSPECTED VIOLATIONS OF COMPETITION RULES WERE SERIOUS ENOUGH THAT WE APPLIED TO THE COURT AND OBTAINED APPROVAL TO CONDUCT A SEARCH AT ALLEGRO’S HEADQUARTERS IN POZNAŃ AND ITS OFFICES IN WARSAW. WE COLLECTED EXTENSIVE AND VALUABLE MATERIAL, WHICH WE ARE NOW ANALYZING IN DETAIL,” said UOKiK President Tomasz Chróstny.
The authority emphasizes that a company holding a dominant position in a given market may not take actions that could harm competitors, business partners, or consumers. In the case of digital platforms, algorithmic mechanisms, the way offers are presented, and default settings are particularly important, as they can shape user behavior.
Explanatory proceedings—what happens next?
At this stage, UOKiK is conducting an explanatory proceeding “in the matter,” rather than against a specific company. This means the authority is examining the circumstances and analyzing the evidence collected, without yet issuing formal allegations.
If the analysis confirms the suspicions, the President of UOKiK may open antitrust proceedings and bring charges against specific entities. If participation in an agreement restricting competition or abuse of a dominant position is found, the company may face a financial penalty of up to 10% of its annual turnover.
Broader market context
The case fits into a wider debate about the role of large digital platforms and their impact on competition. In recent years, antitrust authorities in many countries have been examining whether platform operators are using their market power to promote their own services at the expense of independent partners.
In e-commerce, logistics—especially the so-called last mile—is a particularly sensitive area. Control over how delivery options are presented can directly affect courier companies’ market shares and the conditions under which they compete.
What does this mean for consumers and sellers?
For consumers, the key issue is maintaining a genuine ability to choose among different delivery methods without unjustified preferential treatment of one option. For sellers—especially smaller businesses—what matters is equal treatment of logistics partners and transparent platform rules.
At this point, it has not been determined whether any laws were broken. The final conclusions will depend on the results of the analysis of the evidence gathered. UOKiK has announced a detailed review of the case, and the e-commerce market is closely watching how the situation develops.
