According to a study commissioned by the Association of Entrepreneurs and Employers (ZPP), over 60 percent of companies sell online, while a third of those that do not, think about engaging in e-commerce within a year.

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The results of the study show that “companies are aware of global consumer megatrends, as well as the importance of the presence of their activities on the Internet.”

“However, there is still a lot of room for the development of domestic enterprises in the field of e-commerce, as the demand for products sold through this channel has still not been fully satisfied,” the summary of the research reads.

The study noted that companies which existed on the market for more than 10 years, are the least likely to conduct online sales. Such companies do not feel the need for it. However, in the near future, these companies will adapt to the prevailing market conditions, and transfer some if not all of their commercial activities to the Internet.

Companies selling online obtain an average of 50 pct of their income through this channel. Almost half of them operate only on the domestic market, the rest both on the domestic and foreign or only foreign markets.

The percentage of companies involved in foreign e-commerce markets is the highest among manufacturing companies which have operated for a long time. In addition, 40 pct of companies that sell online only on the domestic market admit that they plan to start selling outside Poland.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, 27 pct of companies that sell online saw a decline in sales, meanwhile 30 pct achieved an increase.

According to the ZPP, the negative results of some companies during the pandemic can be justified by the deterioration of moods among consumers and uncertainty about the economic future, limiting consumption among certain groups of recipients.

“The pandemic also brought about lasting behavioral changes among consumers, convincing them to a large extent to buy online. Therefore, it is highly probable that, after the ongoing period of uncertainty is over, consumers will be more likely than before the pandemic to choose products sold through e-commerce channels, which will improve the results of other companies,” the study stated.

The study was conducted in February 2021 among 353 companies from the trade and production sectors.