Delivery and Logistics for Online Stores in Poland

Are you an online store owner looking to tap into one of Europe's fastest-growing online markets? Whether you're considering expanding your business to Poland or already operating here, it's crucial to optimize your operations for Polish customers.

Hiring a Fractional E-commerce Manager could provide specialized expertise in navigating the unique logistics and consumer preferences of the Polish market, ensuring smooth operations and enhanced customer satisfaction.

Offer Local Shipping - A Must for E-commerce Success

When you are starting your experience with online sales in Poland, you probably don't have a warehouse in Poland and want to ship all orders from your main headquarters location. Even though you can start cooperation with courier brokers like Global24, Olza Logistics, or any others that offer local Polish shipping methods and a local return address where all your customers can send back returns. This helps to reduce high delivery and return fees and increases the chances of receiving more orders.

You simply send the consolidated parcels with all your orders to their address, and brokers like Global24 or Olza Logistics hand them over directly to the courier company.

Point-to-Point Delivery: Key to Customer Satisfaction

In Poland, 82% of customers choose delivery to a point (according to Gemius Ecommerce in Poland 2023). So you have to offer your Polish customers this method; otherwise, you risk losing customers and advertising money. Probably, this is the key reason for abandoned carts in your online store if you don't offer such delivery.

Why is this delivery method so popular?

• Delivery is within the next working day (Inpost offers delivery also on Saturdays and during peak volume seasons like Christmas).

• Customers don’t have to wait the whole day for delivery; they can pick up their parcels 7 days a week, 24 hours a day.

• Depending on the company you choose, customers have 2, 3, or sometimes 4 days to pick up their parcels.

• It is still the cheapest way to get orders from an online store.

The Popularity and Limits of Point-to-Point Delivery

The main limit of this kind of delivery method is the size of the parcel. Here are some measurements that are similar for all companies offering this service:

• Small size: 8 cm high x 38 cm wide x 64 cm long

• Medium size: 19 cm high x 38 cm wide x 64 cm long

• Large size: 41 cm high x 38 cm wide x 64 cm long

Paczkomaty® INPOST - the most popular delivery to the point (only parcel machines). Over 21,000 box machines in Poland and over 16,000 in Europe (Italy, France, Spain, Great Britain). According to KANTAR, 94% of all Polish online customers choose Paczkomaty. Delivery is next working day, and Saturday delivery is available.

Orlen Paczka - delivery within 1-2 days, with over 4300 machines and over 6,000 points like local shops and Orlen petrol stations where you can also pick up the parcel.

Less Popular Options:

DPD - Pickup (machine box)

UPS - Parcel Shops Access Point – local points like shops where you can pick up the parcel, but only within the working time of the point

DHL - POP BOX (machine box) + DHL Service points (local points and shops)

GLS - pick up point & parcel shops

Regarding home delivery, you can choose according to your best offer:

• INPOST

• DPD

• DHL

• GLS

• UPS

You can also choose POCZTA POLSKA, the National Post operator, but if you want to reduce problems, I don't recommend this option.

Streamlined IT Solutions for Online Stores

If you want to offer pickup points, you have to implement a map with a list of machines from which customers will choose the right one.

If you are using SaaS, you have to ask your SAAS operator if this kind of integration is available. You also have to remember that if you start cooperation with brokers like Global24, Olza Logistics, or Eurohermes, you will need an integration to generate labels from their system.

If you are running an online platform like Magento, Shopify, Presta, or Shopware, they might have ready add-ons or we can implement for your own.

As an IT software house, Hatimeria can prepare your own designed integration with your requirements. Even for SaaS, we can use your API and the API of couriers or brokers to create software that generates labels for you.

Easy Returns with Local Partners

Even if your company is based outside Poland, offering local return addresses enhances customer satisfaction. Partnerships with companies like Global24 and Olza Logistics facilitate local return solutions across multiple European countries, providing convenience and peace of mind to customers.

For example, Global24 offers local addresses and shipping methods in Poland, Germany, Spain, France, Italy, Great Britain, Ukraine, Austria, and the Netherlands. Olza Logistics operates in Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, and Romania.

So if you are located in those countries, you can contact them to get more details.

More Return Options for Customer Convenience

If you already have a local address and your return policy offers free returns, you can offer some extra solutions like:

• Szybkiezwroty.pl by INPOST – you can offer paid or free returns to your address. Customers will use Paczkomaty INPOST to send returns.

• WygodneZwroty.pl – you can offer paid or free returns to your address. Customers have several options to choose from.

Conclusion: Your Path to Success in Poland

Delivery and logistics play a pivotal role in the success of online stores in Poland. Providing local delivery options and return addresses can significantly improve customer experience and drive sales. As Hatimeria, we specialize in comprehensive services for setting up or developing online stores tailored to the Polish market's needs. As your dedicated Ecommerce Project Manager, I, Michał Śliwa, am here to offer complete support and guidance for your market entry journey.

Ready to optimize your online store for the Polish market?

Reach out to Hatimeria today to discover how our specialized IT solutions can elevate your business and gain personalized guidance from our skilled Fractional Ecommerce Manager. Let's collaborate to unlock your success in penetrating the dynamic Polish market!