Adriana Sas
Research expert covering the Polish market
Omnichannel retail in Poland - statistics & facts
Omnichannel combines several sales channels (traditional and online) to give the customer offers and an overall experience. Omnichannel retailing is an opportunity to understand better and use customer shopping habits and shopping potential better. This enables the product to reach customers more precisely, increasing sales. The phenomenon of omnichannel sales appeared in Polish trade a few years ago, although it has recently gained momentum. Poland's e-commerce sector is developing dynamically, and the combination of retail and online is not a matter of choice. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many traditional retail chains were forced to shift sales online, while many online retailers decided to open their outlets in conventional shopping centers.
Consumers who buy according to the reverse ROPO show different purchase preferences. Before buying a product online, consumers collect information about it through traditional sales channels. Home appliances and footwear are the most popular products acquired under this purchasing strategy.
Omnichannel is becoming a vital element of the future of retail, which is increasingly influenced by modern technologies such as AI, self-service checkouts, and the phygital concept, which is designed to combine the technologies of the offline and online worlds (channel-free). The channel-free concept itself, enabled by these modern technologies, will be crucial to the development and future of omnichannel, revolutionizing the retail experience for both retailers and consumers.
Purchasing decisions
From the customer's point of view, shopping is convenient and fast, and, due to mobile technologies, it is possible to do it anywhere and anytime. Omnichannel offers an integrated sales model, where clients interact with brands through multiple channels — websites, mobile devices, or social media. The main factors influencing a modern purchase decision are attractive prices, convenience, good customer service, and access to a wide range of products. Consumers now expect reliability, shopping safety, product, and delivery diversity from retailers. Traditional shopping has taken on a broader meaning and is no longer limited to physical shopping, although it is also supposed to help the purchasing process. Omnichannel sales aim to offer the most convenient shopping channel for their customers. Clients must be able to choose and freely move between sales channels.Omnichannel purchasing process
When shopping, the modern consumer expects an appropriate price for the product, and the sales channels serve to verify and control the purchasing process. Therefore, shops must adjust their pricing policy to meet customers' expectations and be consistent in both traditional and online retail stores. One of consumers' most frequent purchasing processes is the Research Online, Purchase Offline (ROPO) effect. Customers initially research online and then purchase it in a traditional store. According to the ROPO effect, building materials and home improvement are the most frequently bought products.Consumers who buy according to the reverse ROPO show different purchase preferences. Before buying a product online, consumers collect information about it through traditional sales channels. Home appliances and footwear are the most popular products acquired under this purchasing strategy.
Omnichannel is becoming a vital element of the future of retail, which is increasingly influenced by modern technologies such as AI, self-service checkouts, and the phygital concept, which is designed to combine the technologies of the offline and online worlds (channel-free). The channel-free concept itself, enabled by these modern technologies, will be crucial to the development and future of omnichannel, revolutionizing the retail experience for both retailers and consumers.
