Online Fashion in Poland – Top Players, Consumer Preferences & Market Trends

Fashion is a popular product category in eCommerce, and Poland is no exception. Almost a quarter of all Polish online sales are Fashion products, making it the largest online product segment in the country. What’s more, the Polish online fashion market is incredibly innovative!  

Poland stands as a beacon of economic stability and growth. Its strategic geographic position has made it a leading player in the continent's business arena, with its thriving market attracting investors from all corners of the globe.

One market section has been particularly dazzling - the fashion industry. The Polish fashion eCommerce market is predicted to reach US$3.5 billion by 2023 and accounts for 24.8% of the total eCommerce market in Poland.

But which fashion stores generate the highest annual net sales in Poland? Using data from our ecommerceDB Markets section, we answer this question below.

Polish Online Fashion: Zalando Ranks First

Poland ranks 22nd in global eCommerce net sales and the country’s Fashion segment is expected to reach US$3.5 billion in net sales by 2023. 

Among the top online players in Polish fashion eCommerce, Zalando’s Polish domain zalando.pl takes the lead with nearly US$400 million net sales in 2022. The remaining stores in the Polish top five are arranged further down the list, indicating a small gap between them.

The Polish hybrid store Sinsay ranks second in 2022 with net sales of US$224 million. It is closely followed by eobuwie.com.pl (US$215 million), Reserved (US$202 million) and Zara (US$191.5 million). 

Note that three out of the top five online fashion stores in Poland are national brands, while the other two are international brands: Zalando from Berlin and Zara from Spain. This may reflect a preference among Polish consumers for local brands, or it may indicate that national retailers have effectively tailored their online strategies to meet the specific needs and tastes of the domestic market. 

Speaking of the specific needs and tastes of the Polish consumers, what are the strategies of the top five online fashion stores in Poland?

Flexible, Sustainable, and Cross-Border eCommerce Define the Polish Market

As a central European country, Poland acts as a hub for both northern and southern European regions, bringing together trends from across the continent in one region. As a result, the first of the four strategies below builds on Poland’s geographic location. Let’s see what exactly this means for Poland’s most successful fashion retailers.

Pan-European Fashion Retailers Dominate Polish eCommerce

Regardless of whether they are national or international, the top five online stores in Poland all have the pan-European orientation of their brand in common.   

Zalando, which ranks first among all online fashion stores in Poland, started its operations in Berlin in 2008. The company expanded to new European markets at an early stage and arrived in Poland in 2013. Poland’s advantageous location in central Europe and its continuously developing infrastructure and warehouse locations make it an ideal hub for retailers to supply Poland and neighboring markets. Similarly, Zara has been operating in Poland since 1999 and is well-established player in the country. 

The same is true for Reserved and Sinsay, both of which are owned by LLP S.A., a Polish conglomerate that owns five clothing brands. LLP is promoting an expansion program for its sister brands in both southern and northern Europe, ensuring the conglomerate’s reach and visibility across the continent. 

Eobuwie.pl, the footwear and accessories specialist, is also known for its lucrative expansion strategy. Founded in 2006, eobuwie.pl entered the Czech market in 2013, and now has a presence in 15 European markets. Predictably, cross-border trade is an important aspect of eobuwie.pl’s business strategy, which relies heavily on Poland’s central location on the continent and seamless infrastructure operations. 

Beyond cross-border concerns, there are strategies that are important in a domestic context, especially when it comes to targeting a specific audience, such as younger users.

Social Media Marketing Is Essential to Reach Young Users

The pandemic has led to the proliferation of eCommerce, which in Poland has meant the wider inclusion of previously less represented younger and older age groups in eCommerce. When it comes to the Fashion segment, it is mainly consumers between 25 and 44 years old who buy Clothing and Shoes, as shown below.

For younger consumers aged 18-24, Bags & Accessories is the most relevant product category, as 18% of consumers who bought this category are younger than 25. 

This also means that brands targeting this younger audience, which in this ranking are mainly affordable brands such as Sinsay, Zara, and also eobuwie.pl, curate a strong social media presence to reach their target clientele. 

In the case of Sinsay, this means promoting their new collections on Instagram, which is more popular among young people than Facebook. Sinsay showcases its new clothing trends on Insta Stories and has based all of its web communications on this platform, to convey accessibility and promote its brand as up-to-date and shareable. 

The effectiveness of this method is also evident in the preferred devices for online shopping in Poland. Smartphones (58%) take the lead over Laptops (56%), highlighting the importance of mobility and convenience among online shoppers in Poland.

The next success strategy also focuses on the preferences of younger consumers. Namely brands that promote a business strategy focused on sustainability are in line with the trend towards a general increase in environmental awareness.

Environmental Awareness as a Driver of eCommerce

Consumers are becoming increasingly aware of the environmental impact of their shopping habits. As a result, brands that implement an eCommerce strategy addressing these concerns are better positioned to secure a strong presence in the market. 

Two stores in our top five list, Zalando and eobuwie.pl, have partnered with the European logistics company InPost to launch a network of parcel drop-off/collection machines in Poland.

This customer-centric model allows users to select convenient locations and times for parcel pick-up, easing the pressure on delivery staff and reducing unnecessary travel, especially during peak shopping periods such as Christmas. 

Similarly, LLP has made a commitment to improving its environmental sustainability, a priority that aligns with its core focus on the fashion sector.

Reserved and Sinsay, both part of LLP, are among the top five online fashion stores in Poland. Their strategy includes a multi-faceted approach that encompasses water and energy conservation in production, the use of sustainable materials, and a robust second-hand strategy.

Given that the business model emphasizes both affordability and real-time inventory management, classifying the products within the fast fashion category, a strategy aimed at offsetting the drawbacks of this model serves to enhance the brand image and potentially boost sales. 

A seamless connection between online and offline is essential not only from an environmental standpoint, but also when it comes to a significant part of eCommerce – convenience.

Multichannel Services and Store Innovation Boost Sales

In line with the flexibility of last-mile delivery is the ability for consumers to choose how they receive their orders. Multichannel services are becoming more prevalent as they meet consumer preferences and help alleviate some of the pressure on delivery providers during periods of high demand.

When it comes to consumer preferences in Poland, home delivery (49%), in-store pickup of online orders (44%) and in-store return of online purchases (41%) are the most popular multichannel services. 

All four stores in the ranking with a hybrid brick-and-mortar/online model offer multichannel options to customers. However, eobuwie.pl went one step further and integrated online conveniences into its physical stores, aiming to combine the benefits of both channels into one comprehensive strategy. 

Specifically, eobuwie.pl allows customers to create a 3D foot scan in their stores, which they can then save and use for future purchases on the online store platform, avoiding the uncertainty of sizing issues in an online setting.

Users can also order a pair online to try on in their local store. Inside the store, consumers navigate the products using in-store tablets connected to a fully automated warehouse that processes customer orders in real time. 

Knowing the strategic elements at play in the Polish market, we can summarize our key findings.

Online Fashion in Poland - Key Takeaways

The Polish online fashion segment accounts for 24.8% of national eCommerce sales. The top five online fashion stores in Poland are Zalando, Sinsay, eobuwie.pl, Reserved, and Zara. These stores all have a pan-European orientation and most of them focus on sustainability and multichannel services.

The online fashion market in Poland is thriving due to a number of factors, including the dominance of pan-European fashion retailers, the importance of social media marketing, and the growing environmental awareness of Polish consumers.

Pan-European fashion retailers dominate the Polish online fashion market. This is because Poland is a strategically located country in central Europe with a well-developed infrastructure. It renders Poland an ideal hub for retailers to supply Poland and neighboring markets. 

Social media marketing is essential to reach young users in Poland. Young people in Poland are more likely to use social media than other age groups. As a result, brands that want to reach this audience need to have a strong social media presence. 

Environmental awareness is a driver of eCommerce in Poland. Polish consumers are becoming increasingly aware of the environmental impact of their shopping habits. As a result, brands that implement sustainable practices are more likely to gain recognition in the Polish market. 

Multichannel services and store innovation boost sales in Poland. Polish consumers want the convenience of shopping online and in-store. As a result, retailers that offer multichannel services and innovative in-store experiences are contributing to the country’s top store successes. 

Sources: All4Comms - Drapers - InPost – LLP - Logistics People Community – Payu Poland - Propertywheel - RetailBrew – Zalando