The Polish DIY market is growing

The DIY market in Poland has held its ground during the pandemic. Longer stays at home have encouraged consumers to renovate and work in the garden, as a result of which, builders' merchants and DIY stores have recorded growth of up to a dozen or so per cent. The value of this market is already over PLN 50 bn (EUR 11 bn), which makes it the second largest, immediately after grocery stores, according to GfK Cenzus DIY.
During the first spring lockdown, home renovation and garden products were among the best-selling product groups online. Increases were also recorded by builders' merchants, which, alongside pharmacies, drugstores and the FMCG sector, were among the few to remain open practically throughout the whole of the pandemic period. However, the new business environment that has been changing rapidly due to the lockdowns and restrictions required entities operating on the DIY market to react. They rose to the challenge and adapted to the new conditions through entrepreneurship and flexibility. Both retailers and manufacturers focused on developing e-commerce and click & collect services.

Omnichannel, increasing digitisation and the growing demands of retail chains on their suppliers also increase the importance of logistics operators. The increase in online orders has led to the development of solutions in the area of last-mile logistics and direct-to-consumer deliveries. The importance of this element of the purchasing process is proven by the fact that delivery directly to the specified address is a form of delivery that encourages and inspires customers most to buy from a specific online store, which has emerged from the study "E-commerce w Polsce 2020. Gemius dla e-Commerce Polska, e-Izba".
Of course, the increasing importance of e-commerce does not mean the end of traditional stores. Many customers prefer a mixed model: they look at the products online to compare what is on offer and then go to a store to see the item "live" and buy it in person at the physical store. This behaviour, referred to as "channel hopping", creates a major challenge for businesses, requiring perfection in each of the sales channels - online and offline. Retailers need to ensure that the goods are available on the shelf in the store, online - the so-called click & collect - orders can be collected from the store and that deliveries are made directly to the customer.