Polish e-commerce outperformed pre-COVID forecasts by almost 4 years

According to the recently published Cushman & Wakefield report titled “Quo vadis e-commerce”, one of the most promising locations for e-commerce operations is the Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) region. Moreover, data from Cushman & Wakefield reveals that Poland accounts for more than half of the turnover generated in the region. The prospects for the development of the Polish e-commerce market are even higher considering that the cost of conducting logistics operations, essential for e-commerce, are 18% lower than in the Czech Republic and 50% lower than in Germany.

According to eMarketer data, global e-commerce is set to reach a value of over USD 6 trillion this year, with China generating more than half of this volume – USD 3.2 trillion. It is followed by the USA, with nearly a third of the total, at USD 1.19 trillion. Statista estimates that the share of European e-commerce in the global result will be 8% this year and is expected to exceed USD 600 billion next year, following declines tied to post-COVID recovery.

EE commerce markets – the UK, Germany, and France – still generate 75% of all European turnover, reflecting the wide gap between Western Europe and the CEE markets, with the latter accounting for around 12% of turnover. However, Central and Eastern Europe remains the fourth largest global region with the highest growth in the past year. Following a closer look at the CEE as a whole, according to Cushman & Wakefield estimates, Poland accounts for more than half of the turnover in the region. The subsequent places are occupied by the Czech Republic, with a share of 12%, Romania with nearly 10%, Ukraine with 7% and Hungary generating 6.5% of revenue, explains Damian Kołata, Partner, Head of Industrial & Logistics Agency Poland, Head of E-Commerce CEE, Cushman & Wakefield.

According to the Cushman & Wakefield report, the CEE region is the most dynamic market in terms of e-commerce, both historically and in terms of forecasts covering the next few years. Statista estimates reveal that the CEE region significantly outpaces Western Europe and the entire EU in terms of cumulative growth.

Looking at historical and forecasted cumulative GDP levels, CEE countries, and Poland in particular, perform very well. Does this mean we are becoming an e-commerce eldorado? Undoubtedly, e-commerce is still rapidly growing and Deloitte even mentions a growth rate 2.5 times faster than traditional commerce until 2030.

The development of e-commerce will influence the warehouse sector. One of the phenomena shaping the e-commerce sector will undoubtedly be the growing interest of consumers in re-commerce, i.e., the sale of used products such as clothing, footwear, furniture, or household appliances. The dynamic development of re-commerce means a new role for warehouses as well. These facilities will need to be tailored to operations related to refurbishment.

In the long term, e-commerce will influence structural changes in supply chains and therefore diversify the warehouse market even more. Even if post-COVID growth rates of e-commerce slow down, the market still grows and guarantees good prospects, says Damian Kołata.

E-commerce will change Polish cities. The report by Cushman & Wakefield states that e-commerce will progressively influence structural changes in supply chains and hence further diversify the warehouse market. As more consumers turn to e-commerce, the need for urban infrastructure and smaller, local sorting and collection points, so-called micro-hubs, will become increasingly necessary. These will form a crucial part of creating smart cities – convenient for residents and well-organized in terms of last-mile delivery strategies, summarizes Damian Kołata.

Source: https://ceo.com.pl/polski-e-commerce-wyprzedzil-przedcovidowe-prognozy-o-prawie-4-lata-50948