3 out of 4 internet users shop online at least once a month.

The coronavirus outbreak is changing shopping habits. Already 76 percent of people using the Internet choose to shop online at least once a month, and only 4 percent declare that they do not do it at all. Customers in virtual stores most often buy clothes, electronics/household appliances, as well as cosmetics, and perfumes. Food is already ordered by one in ten people, according to a study commissioned by CBRE. The company's experts forecast that this year the share of online purchases in total sales will amount to as much as 10 percent, which also translates into an increase in companies' demand for warehouse space.
"A record 3.7 million sqm of warehouse space was leased in the first three quarters of 2020. Agreements in the e-commerce sector account for 11 percent of total demand, while this share is actually higher. They often provide services to companies selling online. Secondly, a significant part of the retail industry, which accounts for 32 percent of demand, has multi-channel distribution and allocates part of its warehouse space to e-commerce," Beata Hryniewska, head of the Agency Warehouse and Logistics at CBRE, said.
A study commissioned by CBRE shows that 40 percent of Internet users in Poland buy products online more often due to the coronavirus epidemic. 47 percent of us did not notice any changes in this respect. The vast majority of consumers shop online at least once a month. Only 21 percent of those questioned decide to do virtual shopping less than once a month, and 4 percent do not do it at all. Interestingly, 3 percent of people browse virtual stores every day, and 11 percent even several times a week.
The growing interest of consumers in online shopping translates into increasing penetration of the e-commerce market. As CBRE forecasts, due to lockdown and trade restrictions, online sales in Poland will reach a 10 percent share in total sales in 2020. A similar pandemic effect can also be observed in other European countries.
(WBJ)