Introduction
The Polish e-commerce market has long been dominated by a single hegemon. However, the last few weeks have brought with them clear signs of growing tension that suggest impending changes. As an e-commerce specialist, I am watching the developments with concern and at the same time hope. Could we be witnessing preparations for the emergence of a new, significant player on the Polish online commerce scene?
Tension is rising, conflict is surfacing
For some time, behind the scenes in the e-commerce industry, there has been talk of a quiet rivalry between Allegro and InPost. Over time, this rivalry began to become more apparent. Sellers and customers reported instances where preferred delivery methods were changed to Allegro's alternative options, which was often met with dissatisfaction. InPost responded by collecting the voices of "aggrieved" users, a clear sign of the growing conflict.
InPost CEO Rafal Brzoska's open declaration on Channel Zero, where he spoke directly about the open conflict, only confirmed that the tension had reached its zenith. At the same time, almost as if on cue, numerous comments and petitions began appearing on social media and vendor groups, suggesting that InPost should open its own sales platform.
InPost's masterful communication efforts
InPost has long been known for conducting effective PR and marketing that targets users directly and is based on listening to the community. So are all these signals - comments, petitions and even an open statement from the CEO - just a coincidence? From the perspective of someone who has built e-commerce systems, I know that creating a platform for such a huge scale of users is a project for years, not months. If the topic of a new platform from InPost is starting to appear so widely in the media, it is no coincidence.
I put forward the thesis that InPost's current communication activity is a carefully planned marketing campaign. The petitions that have flooded vendor groups are the perfect tool for InPost to later communicate that it is "reaching out to users" and thus entering the market as a "savior." This PR ploy is honed to perfection.
Perfect timing for competition
Regardless of what InPost's actual plans are, one thing is certain: the market needs real competition. Allegro's current actions, such as ordering sellers to lower their prices under threat of exclusion from the programs, despite high commissions, are becoming increasingly aggressive and disadvantageous to sellers. In addition, planned sales tax changes for online sellers herald rising costs.
In this context, the prospect of a strong new player with one of the most popular mobile apps in Poland and its own payment system, InPost Pay, is extremely tempting for merchants. This would be an ideal time to introduce an alternative.
Summary
Let's remember that every large company operates primarily with profit in mind. We shouldn't expect retailers to suddenly come first, because this has never been the case and probably won't be. However, the emergence of new, strong competition always forces better standards and a more pro-consumer approach throughout the market.
The battle of e-commerce giants is entering a new phase. Regardless of how the future unfolds, one thing is certain: this will be a period of dynamic change that can bring many benefits to all participants in the Polish e-commerce market.
