Poland

The prices of internet access in Poland are 39% lower on average when compared to other European countries and the US, according to the recent report prepared by the Office of Electronic Communications (UKE).  The average cost of an internet connection in Poland is lower in all speed variants ranging from 1Mb/s to 20 Mb/s.

According to OECD data, in October 2009, the average cost of internet access in nominal prices totalled to €20.4 per month in Poland, which was the second-lowest charge after South Korea (€19.2). Luxembourg and Turkey had the most expensive connections, of €86.1 and €75.7 a month, respectively.

(PMR Ltd, June 2010)

There were 22,450,600 internet users in Poland (representing 58.4% of the population) in June 2010, according to Internet World Stats. This was up by 701.8% compared to 2000. (Internet World Stats, June 2010)

The Polish Ministry of Economic Affairs plans to improve the regulations pertaining to e-commerce in Poland, according to the Deputy Minister who explained that around 10% of Poles shop online, whereas e-customers in the EU account for 7% on average. The EU directive concerning common rules for the internal market has, therefore, to be implemented. The directive is intended to simplify the procedures and alleviate the formalities pertaining to services in all EU states.

E-commerce representatives consider lack of trust to be the greatest obstacle to online trade. Only 12% of EU e-customers believe that shopping online is safe. Other barriers to e-commerce development include substantial commissions on electronic payments. (PMR Ltd - IT & Telecoms in Central & Eastern Europe, August 2009)

Online shopping is gaining in popularity in Poland because of the recession, according to Rzeczpospolita. Poles have started to buy products such as food and holiday trips over the internet, which had not previously been associated with shopping of this kind.

Around 3% of Polish customers purchase household products online and 1.5% buy food via the internet, according to a report prepared by GfK Polonia. In total 10% of Polish customers shop online and around 16 million Poles have access to the internet.

Eric McCloskey, of the Boston Consulting Group, quoted that Poles have started to save money as the recession continues and tend, therefore, to shop via e-stores, where the prices are up to 20% lower than those of standard outlets. (PMR Ltd, July 2009)

Poles spent PLN4.5 billion (€1 billion) on shopping via the internet in 2008, according to Dariusz Bogdan, the deputy Minister of Economic Affairs. The average e-transaction was worth PLN850 (€190.60). (PMR Ltd, June 2009)

Poles spent PLN11 billion (€2.5 billion) on online shopping in 2008, 36.4% more than the previous year. according to a report prepared by the Stowarzyszenie Marketingu Bezposredniego (Direct Marketing Association, SMB), quoted in Rzeczpospolita.

e-Commerce holds a 2% share of Polish retail market value, and its growth rate has outperformed other channels, by way of comparison, in 2008 sales of traditional stores increased by 13%. The auction portals account for the most substantial proportion of online retail sales. The turnover generated by internet auctions was PLN6.5 billion (€1.5 billion). (PMR Ltd, April 2009)