Thursday, 6 August 2026
Overdue liabilities among Polish online retailers continued to increase during the year to May, despite further growth in internet shopping and the expanding role of digital sales in the country’s retail market.
Companies involved in online retail had almost PLN 462 million in unpaid obligations recorded in the databases of BIG InfoMonitor and the Credit Information Bureau at the end of May 2026. The total was approximately PLN 14.2 million, or 3.2%, higher than a year earlier.
Around 5,600 online retail businesses were reported as having difficulty meeting their financial obligations on time. Their arrears represented approximately 14.4% of the PLN 3.2 billion in overdue debt attributed to the wider Polish retail sector.
The figures show that rising sales do not necessarily result in stronger financial conditions for every online merchant. Smaller operators in particular face intense price competition while also being expected to provide faster deliveries, multiple payment options, convenient returns and responsive customer support.
An estimate attributed to the Polish Chamber of Commerce placed domestic e-commerce turnover at almost PLN 92 billion in 2025, an annual increase of 6.8%. Online sales were estimated to account for about 9.1% of retail turnover.
Market-size estimates differ between research organisations because they do not always cover the same activities. Some calculations are limited to online sales of goods by domestic retailers, while broader studies may also include services, overseas platforms or business transactions. The PLN 92 billion figure should therefore be viewed within the methodology used by the Polish Chamber of Commerce rather than as a measure of every form of digital commerce.
Continued market growth has been accompanied by increasing operational demands. Polish customers commonly expect a choice of delivery channels, competitive shipping costs, simple return procedures and rapid access to information about their orders.
Parcel lockers have become a particularly important part of the Polish delivery market. Research by the Chamber of Digital Economy indicates that they are among the most frequently selected delivery methods, while high shipping charges and the absence of a preferred delivery option remain common reasons for abandoning an online shopping basket.
These expectations require retailers to invest in warehousing, order-management technology, logistics partnerships, payment systems and customer service. Larger platforms can spread these costs across substantial sales volumes, but smaller stores may have less room to absorb them without raising prices.
Returns also create a significant cost burden because products must be transported, inspected, repackaged and sometimes discounted before they can be sold again. Retailers that offer free or highly flexible returns may attract more customers but also assume costs that can reduce the margin earned on each order.
Price comparison has become easier as more purchases move to smartphones and marketplaces. This gives consumers greater choice but limits the ability of individual retailers to pass higher fulfilment costs on through selling prices.
As a result, a business may report rising turnover while experiencing weaker cash flow. Money tied up in stock, advertising, deliveries and returned products can create liquidity pressure, particularly when suppliers, logistics companies and tax authorities must be paid before customer revenue is fully available.
The increase in overdue liabilities does not indicate that the Polish e-commerce sector as a whole is in financial distress. Most online retailers were not listed as debtors, and the market continues to expand. However, the figures point to a widening difference between businesses with sufficient scale, technology and logistics capacity and smaller operators competing with limited financial reserves.
Further growth is expected as online shopping remains well established among Polish consumers. The ability to control delivery and return costs, rather than sales growth alone, is likely to be an increasingly important factor in determining which retailers can convert expanding demand into sustainable profits.
