In 2020, we saw Polish consumers shopping online for a wider variety of goods during lockdowns, as well as other pandemic-related social constraints. 

Based on analysis from our Poland 2020 report, let’s take a closer look at some of the key trends in consumer behaviour as a result of Covid-19 in this dynamic market. 

1.They ate…and then they pampered

What better way to deal with a world-wide crisis than to fill your belly and look fantastic whilst you’re doing it? Looking at the chart above, that’s exactly what consumers in Poland turned to when coronavirus first emerged… 

All (terrible) jokes aside, online grocery sales showed the highest growth rate (239%) between January and March in 2020, as countries around the world began locking down. This is likely a result of the increased number of people staying at home to keep safe, as well the obvious convenience of having your groceries delivered to your doorstep. This ecommerce trend quickly gained global popularity, and continued even after the first lockdown had ended in places such as the UK. 

Health and Beauty also saw a high growth rate of 138%, no doubt, as a consequence of the mass closure of salons and hairdressers, in addition to the panic buying of medical supplies. 

This category was followed by house and garden (53%) likely due to people having more time for DIY, as well as needing outdoor space when in lockdown, especially in the Summer months. Hobby products also experienced high growth rates in Poland (50%) because we all needed something to entertain ourselves with on the weekend when the pubs started shutting!

2.They kept squeaky-clean

Poland saw the sale of cleaning products soar in March 2020 as lockdown measures started to be introduced. In fact, our research shows that this was the most popular product bought by Polish shoppers during this period (53%), closely followed by clothing sales (51%), then medicines and supplements (41%). 

Given the backdrop of a global pandemic, this increase in demand for products such as soap and disinfectant is relatively unsurprising – and was an ecommerce trend seen across multiple markets. For instance, our China 2020 report revealed that 52% of Chinese consumers said they would pay more attention to health, especially autoimmunity and planned to buy related products following the first lockdown. Meanwhile, in the USA there was a whopping 129% percentage growth in consumers purchasing household supplies online due to Covid-19. 

However, Poland’s increase in clothing purchases is a little more unusual – at least compared to the UK, where leading retailers, including Matalan and Quiz have experienced a massive decline in sales. 

To find out more about these trends make sure to register for our Poland 2020 Report in Discussion webinar. You will get the chance to hear from our analysts, editors and industry experts as they discuss the state of ecommerce in Poland, how the market has developed since the report’s publication and much more.