The e‑commerce sector has expanded significantly in light of increasing internet penetration and evolving consumer behaviour, with online marketplaces emerging as key players supported by the development of extensive logistics and delivery infrastructure. In Poland, Lithuania and Latvia, the proportion of consumers engaging in online shopping has grown significantly over the past decade, in line with broader trends, with various local and global platforms and services playing a crucial role. This chapter maps the key players across the e‑commerce sector, starting with online marketplaces and then covering other relevant services as defined in Chapter 2, namely online classified ads platforms, online retailers, logistics services and comparison-shopping services.
Competition Market Study of Online Marketplaces in Poland, Latvia and Lithuania
Abstract
This chapter provides a structured analysis of the e‑commerce landscape in Poland, Lithuania and Latvia, including key market actors and developments in each country, focussing on online marketplaces as the central pillar of digital commerce. Beginning with an overview of the main trends in the e‑commerce sector across the three jurisdictions, this chapter then provides a complete mapping of the sector, focussing first on online marketplaces and then examining the role of other e‑commerce players, such as online classified ads platforms (OCAS) and online retailers, as well as other parts of the e‑commerce ecosystem, such as logistics and comparison shopping services (CSS).
Over the last two decades, the e‑commerce sector has undergone substantial transformation in Poland, Lithuania and Latvia, reflecting a global trend. This was driven by increasing internet penetration, evolving consumer preferences and behaviours and the expansion of digital marketplaces supported by the development of extensive logistics infrastructure. The sector has grown significantly, with a transformative impact on retail markets in all three countries.
E‑commerce has been steadily growing in each of the three countries over the last ten years, as shown in Figure 4.1. In 2025, e‑commerce sales made up approximately 18% of businesses’ total turnover in Poland, up from 13% in 2015. In Lithuania, this growth was even more pronounced, with sales rising from 10% to 19% across the same period; while Latvia’s e‑commerce sector is overall smaller, growing from 7% in 2016 to 12% of total turnover in 2025. However, all three countries have levels of e‑commerce sales that are slightly lower than the EU average of 16% of total turnover in 2015 and 19% in 2025.1
Note: Includes firms with ten persons employed or more. Includes all activities (except agriculture, forestry and fishing and mining and quarrying), without financial sector. European Union includes the 27 member countries (as from 2020).
Source: Eurostat
The first key determinant of e‑commerce growth is the high internet take‑up rates across the three countries which have steadily increased, enabling greater access to digital platforms. In 2025, in Poland approximately 89% of the population used the internet at least once per week, up from 65% in 2015, fostering an environment conducive to online transactions. This is broadly in line with Lithuania and Latvia, where 89% of Lithuanians and 94% of Latvians used the internet at least once a week, compared to, respectively, 69% and 75% in 2015.2 Coupled with the increasing prevalence of smartphones and secure digital payment systems,3 this has created the conditions for a marked increase in online shopping activity. The COVID‑19 pandemic further accelerated this shift, serving as a catalyst for digital adoption and reinforcing consumer reliance on e‑commerce platforms.4
Within this context, it is also important to note the pivotal role played by the rise of mobile e‑commerce, which reflects a broader global shift toward mobile‑first consumer behaviour. The widespread adoption of smartphones5 combined with advancements in mobile internet infrastructure, has enabled consumers to engage with e‑commerce platforms seamlessly. As a result, mobile devices have become primary access points for digital commerce, driving fundamental changes in consumer engagement strategies.
Notably, the proportion of consumers engaging in online shopping has grown significantly, as shown in Figure 4.2. In 2025, approximately 70% of Poles, 70% of Latvians and 65% of Lithuanians (compared to the EU average of 74%) had shopped online in the previous 12 months, increasing substantially from 29%, 17% and 10%, respectively, in 2010 (below the EU average of 36%).
Note: European Union includes the 27 member countries (as from 2020).
Source: Eurostat.
Further, online shopping appears to be particularly popular amongst young people in Lithuania and Latvia. In both countries, around 90% of 25‑34 year‑olds bought something online in 2025, much higher than the national average.6 Poland shows a very similar pattern: in 2024, 92% of individuals aged 25‑34 purchased goods or services online in the last 12 months, compared to a national average of 67%.7This is a key driver of the increasing adoption of e‑commerce, as younger cohorts grow and comprise an increasing share of the consumer base.
The rapid expansion of the e‑commerce sector is further evident from several key indicators. In Poland, over the period 2013-2023, the value of the business-to-consumer (B2C) e‑commerce market has increased fivefold, propelled by heightened consumer demand, the growth of online marketplaces and advancements in digital payment and logistics solutions. Similarly, the business-to-business (B2B) e‑commerce segment has experienced a 3.5‑fold increase, over the same period, reflecting the growing reliance on digital platforms for procurement, sales and supply chain operations. The overall share of digital sales within Poland’s retail sector has tripled, reinforcing the growing preference for online purchasing channels. Concurrently, the number of registered online businesses has expanded by 2.5 times, underscoring a shift towards digital-first commercial strategies (Ecommerce Europe, 2023[1]).
In Lithuania, in 2024 the share of online sales had increased by 10.4% compared to 2023 and reached EUR 1.78 billion, according to the Lithuanian state data agency (Vizbarienė, 2025[2]). Lithuania also has the highest share of online businesses of any EU country, showing that Lithuanian businesses are increasingly using digital channels to sell products, with 42% of Lithuanian companies making online sales in 2024, up from 39% in 2023.8 However figures for Latvia and Poland were lower, with about 20% and 18% of businesses respectively selling products online in both years, compared to the EU average of 24% in 2024 (and 23% in 2023). A survey by Luminor Bank in 2021 found that 20% of Lithuanian and 27% of Latvian entrepreneurs planned to increase their online sales in 2022 (Luminor, 2021[3]).
Several factors contribute to this sustained growth. The proliferation of secure and user-friendly digital payment systems, such as PayU9 or Blik10 in Poland, and international platforms like PayPal,11 has played a pivotal role in accelerating this transition. These payment solutions have facilitated broader participation in the digital economy, contributing to the sector’s overall expansion. In the Baltic region in particular, payments via online banking payment link (or “banklink”) are quite popular, with a share of payments (for e‑commerce services) considerably higher than credit cards (EU-Japan Centre for Industrial Cooperation, 2022[4]). This system emerged in the context of low credit card usage in the region, although take‑up has grown substantially in recent years.
This accelerated digital transformation was accompanied by substantial investments in logistics and delivery infrastructure, including last-mile delivery,12 to meet heightened demand. By a way of example, the use of parcel lockers13 has been notable in Poland,14 and it also provided a contactless and convenient delivery solution, aligning with consumer preferences for safety and efficiency. The growing deployment of parcel lockers in Poland has been significantly driven by the expansion of e‑commerce and shifting consumer preferences toward more flexible delivery options. According to reports from cashless.pl, the number of parcel lockers in Poland went from reached 51 300 in 202415 to 66 800 at the end of 2025.16 The increasing reliance on parcel lockers is reflected in consumer behaviour, with 77% of online buyers in Poland using these facilities for deliveries – a 16% increase compared to 2020. Additionally, 81% of Polish consumers stated that the availability of parcel locker delivery influences their purchasing decisions (Dzhelik, 2024[5]).
The parcel delivery networks in Lithuania and Latvia are similarly well-developed, including the deployment of parcel lockers. Lithuania and Latvia, with a population density amongst the lowest in the EU, have some of the densest parcel locker networks in Europe,17 and these networks are fast-growing. For instance, the number of parcel locker machines increased from 1 323 in 2021 to 2 194 in 2025 in Lithuania – 1 740 in Latvia at the end of 2024 – and around 65% (66% in Latvia18) of parcels are delivered to parcel lockers (compared to home delivery or delivery to other locations) across the country.19 These developments in physical infrastructure are foundational to the development of reliable and convenient e‑commerce services. The integration of such services into the broader e‑commerce ecosystem has reinforced the sector’s resilience and capacity for sustained growth.
Finally, and as already mentioned, the COVID‑19 pandemic acted as an inflection point for the e‑commerce sector in Europe, accelerating digital adoption and redefining consumer behaviour. Prior to 2020, a considerable portion of the population remained reluctant to engage in online shopping, often citing concerns regarding delivery reliability and transactional security.20 However, pandemic-induced restrictions, including limitations on in-store sales during this period,21 compelled consumers to adopt digital alternatives, resulting in a notable surge in online transactions. This also helps explain the growth in parcel lockers, which were popular during the COVID‑19 pandemic as an outdoor non-contact channel for transactions (EU-Japan Centre for Industrial Cooperation, 2022[4]).
For example, the share of individuals making at least one online purchase in the last 12 months increased across all three countries, underscoring the shift in consumer reliance on digital marketplaces. Looking at Eurostat data, this share rose between 2020 and 2024 from 56% to 65% in Latvia and from 53.8% to 64.4% in Lithuania. Poland also recorded an increase, from 61% to 67.4% over the same period.22 This acceleration is consistent with the broader e‑commerce adoption observed around and after the COVID‑19 period.
The developments outlined in this section, particularly the increase in internet usage, the growth of the e‑commerce sector, and the rollout of vital supporting infrastructure, sets the stage for a detailed analysis of the key market actors operating in the e‑commerce sector in Poland, Lithuania and Latvia, in the following section. Moving through each segment of the e‑commerce sector, including online marketplaces, neighbouring and ancillary markets (see Chapter 2 for relevant definitions), the report will provide a snapshot of the key market actors operating in each country and their business models.
With the exception of general online marketplaces, the focus of this study, this chapter does not aim to provide an exhaustive analysis of all companies operating within e‑commerce given the vast number of players in this sector. Instead, it focusses on a selection of key platforms and firms based on their relevance in the market, considering factors such as their size, role in the sector, influence over consumers and strategic importance. This will provide relevant context and background for the following chapters.
The structure of the e‑commerce sector in Poland, Latvia and Lithuania is shaped by the central role of online marketplaces. As outlined in Chapter 2, this report distinguishes between two primary categories of online marketplaces: general online marketplaces and specialised online marketplaces. These platforms operate as structured hubs for e‑commerce activity.
The following section of the report focusses on identifying the most significant online marketplaces in Poland, Latvia and Lithuania, examining their business models, roles and key characteristics. While subsequent sections will provide an overview of other segments within the e‑commerce ecosystem, online marketplaces remain the core subject of analysis.
4.2.1. Poland
Several general online marketplaces are active in Poland, as identified in Table 4.1. This includes Allegro, the leading platform operating in Poland since 1999 and Amazon.pl, a relatively recent entrant in the Polish market. AliExpress has also been present in Poland since 2017, operating with a similar business model to recent market entrant Temu, with their distinct factory-to-consumer and ultra-low pricing strategies. A number of other players are present in the market, including Erli, Morele and eBay. In recent years, the Singaporean platform Shopee also entered the Polish market, benefiting from an initial surge in traffic and visibility, but ultimately exited the market.
1. Monthly unique visitors is the number of distinct individuals (based in Poland) visiting the website at least once during the month (regardless of whether they visit the site once or a number of times), summed across desktop and mobile web.
2. Monthly active users is the number of distinct individuals (based in Poland) who used the app in the month across both Android and iOS.
3. Revenue converted from PLN to EUR using the exchange rate for 31 December 2024.
4. Allegro’s revenue includes marketplace, retail, advertising, price comparison, logistics and other services and is for the calendar year 2024.
5. Erli’s revenue is primarily derived from marketplace services and is for the calendar year 2024.
6. Morele’s revenue includes both retail and marketplace services and covers the 12‑month period April 2023 to March 2024.
Source: SimilarWeb data; Allegro 2024 Annual Report; Erli 2024 Annual Report; Morele 2024 Annual Report, Empik 2024 Annual Report.
Allegro
Allegro is the leading online marketplace platform in Poland and one of the most prominent online marketplaces in Europe.23 It is classified as a general online marketplace because it provides a broad selection of product categories instead of specialising in a particular niche.
Allegro was founded in 1999 and initially owned by QXL Ricardo, which later rebranded to Tradus plc in 2007. In 2008, Tradus was acquired by Naspers. In 2016, the Allegro Group was sold to a consortium of investor funds: Cinven, Permira and Mid Europa Partners. Allegro went public on the Warsaw Stock Exchange in October 2020, marking the largest IPO in Poland’s history (Gopinath, 2020[6]).
Allegro operates a hybrid marketplace business model, combining intermediation services with direct retail operations. The platform primarily acts as an intermediary, connecting buyers and sellers without owning inventory directly; however, it increasingly also engages in retail activities by selling products directly to consumers through its own inventory. This dual approach allows Allegro to offer an extensive range of products across categories such as electronics, fashion, home goods and automotive parts, catering to diverse consumer needs. According to UOKiK’s 2022 decision in the Allegro/Mall Group merger, the vast majority of Allegro’s 130 000 sellers are Polish micro, small and medium-sized entrepreneurs, although larger players with their own established position (e.g. Media Markt, discussed in Section 4.3.2 below) also sell via the platform.24
Allegro’s marketplace services generate revenue through commission fees charged to third-party sellers, which range between 1% and 17% depending on the product category on allegro.pl.25 Figure 4.3 shows Allegro’s marketplace revenue for the period 2017-2024, which grew substantially from PLN 1 266 million (EUR 303 million) in 2017 to PLN 7 400 million (EUR 1 730 million) in 2024.26
Source: Allegro 2024 Annual Report.
The company also generates revenue from its advertising services designed to increase product visibility, subscription-based loyalty programmes such as Allegro Smart! (which provides free deliveries and discounts) and sales from its direct retail operations. Additionally, Allegro offers financial services that allow consumers and sellers to access credit for deferred or instalment payments. Its partnerships with logistics providers have expanded its delivery and fulfilment infrastructure, including the use of parcel lockers, to increase delivery accessibility and convenience while providing flexible and lower-cost shipping options.27 Figure 4.4 shows that Allegro has experienced growth across its other services and segments, albeit to different extents for each service, over the same 2017-2024 period.
Source: Allegro 2024 Annual Report.
Acquisition history
Throughout the years, Allegro has expanded its services and operations through both acquisitions and the introduction of new services and products. These efforts have enabled Allegro to not only strengthen its position in the Polish market but also to broaden its reach in Central Europe. Allegro has pursued acquisitions to strengthen its presence in e‑commerce and logistics, expanding its marketplace and related and complementary services.
On 30 December 2006, QXL Holding, then the owner of the Allegro.pl Group, acquired a 75% stake in Ceneo.pl, a Polish CSS platform founded in 2004 (discussed further in Section 4.4.2).28 This acquisition allowed Allegro to integrate price comparison features directly into its platform, enabling customers to compare prices across sellers and making it more appealing to price‑sensitive consumers. Since its acquisition by Allegro, Ceneo has become an integral part of Allegro’s ecosystem.
In December 2018, Allegro acquired eBilet.pl, a Polish online ticketing platform, with the stated aim of expanding product and service offerings on both platforms and increasing their customer base. Allegro’s acquisition of eBilet.pl allowed the company to enter the event ticketing market, diversifying its e‑commerce portfolio beyond physical goods. eBilet.pl was already a leading online ticketing platform in Poland, facilitating the sale of tickets for concerts, theatre performances, sports events and other live entertainment. By integrating eBilet into its platform, Allegro could expand its product offerings, potentially increasing customer engagement by giving users access to event-related services alongside their usual online shopping. The acquisition also aligned with Allegro’s broader strategy of increasing platform traffic and cross-selling opportunities.
In October 2021, Allegro acquired X-Press Couriers, a Polish courier company specialising in same‑day delivery, as part of an effort to strengthen its logistics operations. As publicly stated by the company (Allegro, 2022[7]), the acquisition would allow it to offer same‑day deliveries for orders paid for before specific cut-off times. X-Press Couriers specialised in rapid urban deliveries within Poland, making it a strategic addition to Allegro’s fulfilment network. One of the main advantages of this acquisition was the ability to offer faster shipping options, particularly for high-demand categories such as electronics, fashion and groceries.
In 2022, Allegro acquired Mall Group, a Czech e‑commerce company and WE/DO, a logistics and delivery service operating in the Czechia and the Slovak Republic. According to Allegro, this acquisition was intended to support its expansion into Central Europe by integrating logistics services and providing merchants with access to a wider consumer base (Allegro, 2022[8]). Mall Group operated e‑commerce platforms in the Czechia, the Slovak Republic, Hungary, Slovenia and Croatia, while WE/DO provided logistics and delivery services in the Czechia and the Slovak Republic. By acquiring these companies, Allegro sought to extend its marketplace model to new markets and integrate logistics services that would support cross-border e‑commerce.
One of the key outcomes of this acquisition was access to an established customer base and merchant network across multiple countries. Allegro stated that 135 000 merchants would benefit from a unified platform, improving the consumer experience with a wider variety of products and more competitive pricing. Additionally, WE/DO’s logistics network provided infrastructure for Allegro to streamline fulfilment and delivery operations in the region, reducing reliance on third-party couriers and improving service efficiency (Allegro, 2022[7]).
Allegro’s current geographic presence and expansion efforts
In addition to expanding its service offerings, Allegro has also focussed on geographic expansion, broadening its reach across Central and Eastern Europe. This expansion has been driven by strategic acquisitions, local platform launches and investments aimed at adapting the platform to new markets.
Specifically, by finalising the acquisition of Mall Group and WE|DO,29 Allegro managed to gain a foothold in Czechia, the Slovak Republic, Hungary, Slovenia and Croatia, effectively doubling its addressable market in the region (Allegro, 2022[8]). Further, in October 2024, Allegro officially launched its platform in Hungary, allowing local consumers to shop on allegro.hu as part of its broader expansion strategy in Central Europe.
Allegro’s expansion efforts may also involve adapting its platform to meet local needs and enhancing its logistics services, both of which could be key elements of its strategy to establish a competitive presence in new jurisdictions (Allegro, 2024[9]).
Allegro’s ecosystem: Allegro Pay and Allegro Pay Business
Beyond geographic expansion, Allegro has also broadened its service offerings to include financial solutions that enhance the platform’s functionality for both consumers and businesses. By integrating financial services into its ecosystem, Allegro has expanded into what has been defined in Chapter 2 as one of the related markets of online marketplaces – the payments and financial services sector.
As part of its expansion efforts, Allegro has introduced financial services to provide more payment options for consumers and sellers. This includes Allegro Pay and Allegro Pay Business, integrating credit and instalment payment options into its platform.
In particular, in 2020 Allegro introduced Allegro Pay, payment service aimed at offering more flexibility in transactions. This feature enables customers to defer payments or opt for instalment plans, thus reducing immediate financial constraints and making higher-value purchases more accessible.30 The availability of such services aligns with broader trends in e‑commerce, where financial solutions like Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL)31 have been adopted to increase customer engagement and purchasing power.
By potentially facilitating larger or more frequent transactions, the introduction of Allegro Pay could contribute to improving platform efficiencies and increasing revenue. It may also attract both buyers and sellers, as sellers could benefit from customers expanded purchasing power, potentially leading to higher sales volumes and increased average order values. Furthermore, the implementation of Allegro Pay might enable the platform to gather valuable insights into user behaviour and credit preferences.
A separate but related service is Allegro Pay Business,32 designed for B2B transactions on the Allegro Business platform.33 This solution targets corporate clients, offering the possibility to defer payments by 30 days at no additional cost or up to 60 days for greater flexibility in cash flow management.
For sellers, Allegro Pay Business provides the option of receiving payment immediately after a sale, which can help maintain liquidity. Business buyers, on the other hand, may benefit from extended payment terms, potentially aiding in financial planning. Additionally, transactions made through this service do not appear to involve extra fees for sellers. Allegro also offers financing for sellers through its Allegro Merchant Finance service, which can be provided in the form of a loan or used to settle the seller’s obligations towards Allegro with a revolving limit of PLN 150 000.34
In summary, while both services offer deferred payment options, Allegro Pay caters to individual consumers, whereas Allegro Pay Business is tailored for corporate clients engaging in B2B transactions on the Allegro platform, while also providing benefits to sellers alongside Allegro’s Merchant Finance service.35
Allegro Smart
As part of its broader strategy to strengthen its market position – through geographic expansion, acquisitions and diversification into new service areas – Allegro has also focussed on enhancing consumer loyalty and engagement. In this context, it introduced Allegro Smart in 2018, a subscription-based programme designed to streamline the shopping experience on the platform and offer cost-saving benefits to regular users. The programme is charged to consumers at a cost of PLN 59.90 (EUR 14) annually or PLN 14.99 (EUR 3.50) monthly.36
Once consumers pay this subscription fee, the programme’s core feature is free delivery on eligible purchases, provided the items are sold by participating sellers and meet a minimum purchase threshold.37 This initiative aims to reduce shipping costs, a common barrier in e‑commerce, for frequent shoppers. In addition to free delivery, subscribers are offered exclusive discounts on selected products.38 Sellers participating in Allegro Smart may benefit from increased visibility to subscribers, which could contribute to higher sales.
Sellers can qualify to participate in Allegro Smart, which means that the “Smart” badge is displayed on their product listings, and that they are included in the Allegro Smart free delivery offer and other promotional offers.39 Allegro also covers return costs for Allegro Smart products. In order to qualify for inclusion in Allegro Smart, sellers must meet a minimum sales quality threshold and enable certain delivery options, including Allegro Delivery, for their products.
Logistics services and partnerships with delivery providers
Allegro operates a logistics service called One Fulfillment, which manages storage and order processing for e‑commerce sellers. Sellers can send their inventory to Allegro’s warehouse, where the company handles fulfilment and shipping. The service also includes customer support for order-related inquiries, allowing sellers to delegate logistics management.40 Allegro also operates its own end-to‑end delivery programme, Allegro Delivery, with deliveries managed either directly by Allegro or in partnership with other logistics providers.
Indeed, Allegro has strengthened its platform’s logistics and delivery infrastructure by partnering with third-party providers, like InPost. Allegro and InPost have maintained a long-standing relationship since 2014,41 involving elements of both partnership and competitive dynamics. As mentioned, the two companies traditionally operated in separate markets: Allegro as a general and hybrid online marketplace platform connecting sellers and buyers and InPost as a provider of parcel delivery services. The relationship between Allegro and InPost is characterised by the following dynamic: Allegro uses InPost for its delivery services, while InPost derives business support from the volume of orders facilitated by Allegro.42
The collaboration between the two companies functions through two main channels: Allegro’s Smart Program and standard orders. Under the Smart Program, Allegro absorbs some of the delivery costs,43 effectively reducing the shipping expenses incurred by consumers. For orders outside the Smart Program, delivery costs are borne directly by sellers or consumers, providing InPost with additional business without Allegro bearing the financial burden.
Despite the close relationship between Allegro and InPost, both companies have pursued initiatives aimed at strengthening their operational independence. Allegro has enhanced its vertical integration, increasing the share of parcels going through its own managed delivery services and internalising more of the logistics chain. In fact, Allegro has been developing its own automated parcel machine (APM) network since 2021.44 Similarly, InPost has been diversifying its customer base beyond Allegro. However, the available public sources45 suggest that InPost’s revenues remain concentrated among a small number of large e‑commerce clients: one credit-rating assessment notes that Allegro and Vinted are InPost’s two largest customers and together contribute around 40% of InPost’s total revenue. Investor materials further suggest that Allegro Smart! volumes account for roughly 31% of InPost’s revenue in Poland and about 18% of Group revenue overall, while Vinted accounts for roughly 23% of Group sales.46
In addition to its long-standing collaboration with InPost, Allegro has integrated other providers into its delivery network. These partnerships facilitate the availability of alternative shipping solutions within the platform. One such co‑operation is with ORLEN Paczka, a parcel delivery service operated by ORLEN, the state‑owned oil company, working through a network of collection points and lockers across Poland.47
In particular, in its effort to expand delivery options, Allegro has integrated ORLEN Paczka into its Allegro Delivery programme. This means that sellers on Allegro can now offer ORLEN Paczka as a shipping option directly through the platform, with Allegro overseeing the entire logistics process, including tracking and complaint handling. By incorporating ORLEN Paczka, Allegro strengthens its last-mile delivery network, providing buyers with additional flexible and cost-effective collection points, while ensuring that sellers can use a standardised and managed shipping service.48
In conclusion, Allegro’s partnerships with parcel delivery service providers, including InPost and ORLEN Paczka, form an integral part of its logistics and delivery infrastructure. These collaborations facilitate the provision of various shipping solutions within the platform, enabling the fulfilment of orders through different distribution channels.
Additional services provided to sellers: Analytics, advertising and seller support
Allegro also provides a range of services tailored to support sellers, including analytics tools for tracking performance and market trends. The platform also provides advertising options for product promotion through targeted campaigns. Additionally, Allegro offers customer support and technical assistance to address operational issues. These services are intended to help sellers manage their businesses and compete more effectively on the platform.
Amazon Poland
Amazon, a global player in the e‑commerce sector, operates on six continents and has established nine dedicated online stores in Europe, including Amazon.pl. Originally launched as an online bookstore, Amazon has diversified its operations to become a global e‑commerce platform offering a wide range of products and services (Gartenberg, 2021[10]).
Amazon’s business model prioritises extensive product availability, logistical efficiency and competitive pricing to meet customer demands. It can be qualified as a general online marketplace as it offers a wide and comprehensive range of product categories. In particular, Amazon’s business model is built on multiple revenue streams, with e‑commerce, cloud computing and logistics at its core. The cost to sell on Amazon depends on the selling plan, product category, fulfilment strategy and other variables.49 The company operates as a hybrid platform, since it acts both as a direct retailer and as an online marketplace for third-party sellers.50
Through Amazon Marketplace, independent sellers list products on the platform, paying fees or commissions, while Amazon also sells goods directly to consumers. The Prime membership programme51 supports customer retention by offering benefits such as free shipping and access to digital content.
Amazon’s global infrastructure contributes to its pricing strategy, which allows the company to take advantage of economies of scale, source products from suppliers worldwide and utilise advanced supply chain management, Amazon is able to offer competitive prices in a variety of markets. Furthermore, Amazon’s global scale enables it to maintain a consistent pricing structure across different regions.52
Logistics and fulfilment play a central role in Amazon’s operations. The Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA)53 service allows third-party sellers to store their inventory in Amazon’s warehouses, with Amazon handling packaging, shipping and customer service.54 The company has also expanded its logistics network, including proprietary delivery services, reducing its reliance on external carriers.
Beyond e‑commerce, Amazon Web Services (AWS)55 is a significant part of its business, providing cloud computing infrastructure to businesses and governments. AWS generates high-margin revenue, supporting Amazon’s ability to invest in its core operations. Additionally, Amazon derives income from advertising, digital services such as Kindle56 and Audible,57 and its physical retail presence, including Whole Foods and Amazon Fresh stores.58 The company’s model is based on scale, data-driven decision making, and continuous reinvestment in technology and infrastructure.
Amazon launched its Polish website, amazon.pl,59 in March 2021, expanding its European presence. The platform offers over 100 million products across more than 30 categories, including items from local Polish businesses.60
Since 2014, Amazon has had a logistical presence in Poland, investing over PLN 18.5 billion (EUR 3.93 billion)61 in infrastructure and services from 2012 to 2022.62 This includes the establishment of fulfilment centres and corporate offices, enhancing logistics and customer service capabilities within the country. Amazon’s proper entry into the Polish market in 2021 marks an extension of its European operations, with a focus on offering a variety of products, localised pricing and delivery services to cater to Polish consumers. For instance, the introduction of Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) in Poland enables sellers to utilise Amazon’s logistics network for storage, packaging and delivery, facilitating efficient order fulfilment. This service aims to provide customers with reliable and timely deliveries.
Against this background, it is worth noting that Amazon Poland is included in this analysis despite its relatively limited market position in Poland (see Section 7.1.1). Given the company’s global scale, financial strength and potential for expansion, a detailed examination of its operations in the Polish market remains relevant from a competitive and regulatory perspective.
Amazon’s ecosystem: Amazon Pay
As part of Amazon’s broader strategy to expand its offerings, the company has been offering Amazon Pay,63 a service designed to simplify the payment process for consumers, since the launch of its Polish marketplace, Amazon.pl.
Amazon Pay is a digital wallet, which facilitates online payments by allowing consumers to pay for goods and services on third-party websites and applications using the payment methods associated with their Amazon accounts. The service operates as an intermediary between the merchant and the consumer, providing secure, efficient transactions and handling customer authentication.64
Amazon Pay contributes to the platform’s strategic objectives by streamlining transactions, which could lead to higher sales volumes and improved platform efficiencies. By offering payment flexibility, Amazon helps consumers make purchases they might not otherwise be able to afford, while also providing sellers with a tool to attract more customers.
Finally, for B2B transactions, Amazon also offers Amazon Lending, a service that provides loans to eligible sellers, helping to improve cash flow management and business growth.
Amazon Prime
Similarly to Allegro’s Smart programme, Amazon also offers its own subscription programme dedicated to consumers, Amazon Prime.65 In the context of the offerings provided to consumers, alongside Amazon Pay, Amazon Prime plays a key role. Much like how Allegro combines Allegro Pay and Allegro Smart to enhance its consumer services, Amazon integrates Prime to offer additional value, including free shipping, exclusive deals and access to entertainment content. In other words, Amazon Prime is a subscription-based service designed to enhance the overall shopping experience through benefits such as expedited delivery and exclusive content. Similar to Allegro Smart, Amazon Prime is targeted at consumers, playing a key role in fostering customer loyalty and engagement within the platform’s ecosystem.66
Additional services provided to sellers: Analytics, advertising and seller support
In addition to Amazon Prime, primarily designed for consumers, Amazon also offers a wide range of services tailored to support its sellers.
These services include analytics tools that allow sellers to track sales, manage inventory and identify trends to optimise their strategies. Additionally, Amazon provides advertising solutions, such as Sponsored Products67 and Sponsored Brands,68 to help sellers increase product visibility and drive targeted traffic. To streamline logistics, Amazon offers FBA, where the platform handles storage, packing and shipping, ensuring efficient operations.
Furthermore, Amazon offers customer support and technical assistance to ensure that sellers can quickly address any operational challenges or concerns, fostering a smooth and efficient selling experience.
Building on the range of services Amazon provides to sellers, these offerings are supported by standardised agreements that govern their operations on the platform. Sellers who wish to sell on the Marketplace must enter into two agreements: the ASE Business Solutions Agreement (“BSA”) and the APE User Agreement (“Payments Agreement”). The BSA outlines the terms for accessing and using Amazon’s services and is consistent across all Amazon Stores in Europe, ensuring uniformity across regions. A separate agreement with Amazon Payments Europe (APE), as well as Amazon Services Europe (ASE) is necessary, as APE handles the processing of payments to sellers. These agreements are designed to facilitate the quick scaling of operations, offering clear and uniform terms for most sellers. While they simplify the onboarding process and reduce complexity, the agreements also offer limited room for negotiation, which may be a limitation for larger or more established sellers who might prefer tailored terms.69
AliExpress
Launched in 2010 by the Alibaba Group,70 AliExpress operates as a global online marketplace connecting consumers directly with manufacturers and distributors, primarily from the People’s Republic of China (hereafter ‘China’). AliExpress has been operating in Poland since 2017.71
AliExpress can be considered a general online marketplace rather than a specialised one, functioning as a multi-category platform. However, AliExpress’s business model varies from those described above, as it operates a factory-to-consumer (F2C) retail model, facilitating direct transactions between consumers and manufacturers, primarily based in China, bypassing traditional intermediaries. While the majority of its sellers are based in China, AliExpress did open its platform to Polish sellers in later 2024 (WBJ, 2024[11]).
AliExpress functions as an intermediary platform, facilitating transactions between buyers and third-party sellers without holding inventory or directly selling products.72 Moreover, AliExpress removes intermediaries – such as wholesalers, distributors and brick-and-mortar retailers – from the supply chain. This “disintermediation” allows consumers to purchase goods at lower prices directly from producers.
As such, AliExpress operates as an online marketplace where sellers (often manufacturers or large‑scale distributors) list their products directly for global consumers. This system reduces markups, making goods more affordable. It also allows small-scale sellers and manufacturers to reach international customers without relying on third-party retail partnerships.
However, the model comes with trade‑offs. By bypassing intermediaries, AliExpress leaves responsibilities like customer service, product quality assurance and returns to the individual sellers. This can result in inconsistent customer experiences. Additionally, because many sellers are based in China, shipping times are often longer compared to local e‑commerce platforms.
AliExpress generates revenue primarily through commissions on sales, which range between 5% and 8%, depending on the product category. The platform also earns from advertising services, where sellers pay to promote their products for better visibility and from optional value‑added services, such as analytics tools and premium storefronts.73
AliExpress has significantly enhanced its logistics operations in Poland through strategic partnerships and infrastructure investments, to enhance delivery efficiency and reduce shipping times for consumers. In collaboration with Cainiao, Alibaba’s logistics arm, AliExpress established its first independent logistics centre in Poland near Łódź. This 10 000‑square‑metre facility serves as a fulfillment hub, enabling sellers to ship products directly from Poland. The centre aims to deliver orders within three days across Poland and even offers next-day delivery in major cities (WBJ, 2021[12]).
Additionally, AliExpress has partnered with DHL to develop an out-of-home delivery network in Poland, integrating Cainiao’s existing infrastructure with DHL’s parcel lockers. The initiative, supported by an initial EUR 60 million investment, is designed to expand delivery options for Polish consumers.74
Temu
Temu, established in 2022, is an e‑commerce platform that connects consumers with a vast network of merchandise partners, manufacturers and brands. Temu operates under PDD Holdings,75 which is registered in the Cayman Islands and based in Dublin, Ireland. Temu is considered a general online marketplace as it offers goods across many product categories. Similar to AliExpress, Temu operates as a low-cost, cross-border marketplace connecting consumers with manufacturers, primarily from China. Temu has particularly targeted younger consumers, with its low operational costs, enabling it to provide products at prices that often undercut traditional retailers.
Temu’s business model focusses on offering a wide range of products at competitive prices, leveraging its extensive network of suppliers and manufacturers. The backbone of Temu’s revenue model is the commission it charges on each sale made through its platform. These fees typically range from 5% to 30% of the product’s selling price, depending on the category and other factors. This commission structure incentivises Temu to drive sales volume while allowing suppliers to set competitive prices.76
Temu’s rapid expansion is closely linked to the specific features of its business model, which combines a cross-border supply structure with an emphasis on ultra-low pricing, high-volume sales and strong user engagement mechanisms. In particular, the platform relies on direct sourcing from manufacturers, predominantly (but not exclusively) based in China, extended delivery times and limited local fulfilment infrastructure, which enables significant cost reductions relative to traditional retail channels. At the same time, its interface design incorporates gamified elements, time‑limited offers and reward-based incentives aimed at maximising user engagement and encouraging impulse purchases. A more detailed assessment of these features and their implications for consumer behaviour and substitutability, is provided in Chapter 6.
Temu relies on social media and digital marketing strategies to reach consumers, particularly younger demographics. Through partnerships with influencers and targeted advertising, it seeks to shape purchasing decisions. Additionally, its platforms incorporate mobile‑optimised interfaces designed to facilitate transactions, with features such as virtual try-ons and personalised recommendations.
After entering the Polish market in mid-2023, Temu saw a rapid expansion and growth in popularity among consumers. As shown in Table 4.1, in the 12‑month period January 2025-December 2025, Temu had an average of 10.53 million monthly unique visitors to its website and 6.43 million monthly active users of its app in Poland, making it the second largest player after Allegro (with 22.91 million monthly unique visitors and 8.01 million monthly active app users).77 These figures underscore Temu’s expanding footprint in the Polish market and its broader success across Europe.
Other general online marketplaces
A number of other online marketplaces have a presence in Poland, including general online marketplaces Empik, Erli, Morele and eBay.
Empik
Empik’s origins are as a Polish retail chain specialising in books, music, multimedia and lifestyle products. Established in 1948, the company operates through an omnichannel model, combining a network of over 250 physical stores across Poland with its online platform, Empik.com. The company offers products in categories such as books, music, films, multimedia games, press, artistic and creative articles, stationery, educational toys, board games and tickets for cultural events.78
Empik.com features over 1.5 million products and includes a marketplace, EmpikPlace, which launched in 2017, where over 3 500 sellers list and sell their products directly to consumers. The platform serves more than 9 million online buyers in Poland (Empik, 2022[13]). In recent years, Empik has expanded its services to include digital content such as e‑books, audiobooks and podcasts through Empik Go,79 as well as streaming music via the Empik Music application.80 The company also offers subscription services like Empik Premium.81
Empik’s business model is hybrid in nature, combining elements of both traditional retail and online marketplace. This makes it difficult to categorise the company strictly as an online retailer or a marketplace. While it operates a substantial online retail platform, it also includes a marketplace component, EmpikPlace, where third-party sellers offer their goods. While Empik has historically operated as a specialised online retailer, with a focus on cultural, educational and lifestyle products, its marketplace incorporates goods from a broader range of retail categories, expanding over time to a general online marketplace.
Erli
Erli launched in March 2020, positioning itself as a low-cost alternative to other online marketplaces in Poland (ECAT, 2024[14]). Erli’s revenue of PLN 170 million (EUR 40 million)82 in 2024,83 is primarily derived from the commission fees it charges to sellers on their sales, while also including substantial marketing services to sellers as part of its offering. Erli partners with various parcel delivery companies, including InPost, DHL, DPD, Orlen Paczka and Polish Post, enabling sellers to use these services to offers delivery to consumers in Poland.84
Morele
Morele began by offering an online store in Poland in 2004, focussing initially on consumer electronics but eventually expanding into other retail segments, including via acquisitions of other Polish e‑commerce retailers. In 2019, Morele launched its general online marketplace, open to third-party sellers.85
Morele primarily provides intermediation services, facilitating access to its consumer base and promotional services, with sellers responsible for managing order processing, deliveries and customer enquiries.86 It charges a commission fee to sellers on items sold, based on the product category of the item.87 In the 12‑month period April 2023 to March 2024, Morele’s total revenue was PLN 1 270 million (EUR 297 million)88 across its retail and marketplace businesses.89
eBay
Finally, eBay is an American company which operates on a global basis. Historically, eBay’s operations were closer to that of an OCAS platform and revolved around auctions for particular items. Now, it has evolved into a general online marketplace, facilitating both auctions and instant sales for many professional sellers (B2C) alongside its consumer-to-consumer (C2C) functions.90 As such, it has a distinct business model, combining elements of a general online marketplace and OCAS platform.
However, while its product range spans many retail categories (hence the categorisation as a general online marketplace), it does not offer a comparable product selection or shopping interface as compared to typical online marketplaces such as Amazon. Compounding this, eBay does not offer any warehousing or fulfilment services, with shipping and delivery all being managed independently by sellers.
Failures in market entry: Shopee
Shopee was founded in 2015, headquartered in Singapore and operates as part of Sea Group.91 Its business model centres around providing a mobile‑first online marketplace, connecting sellers and buyers across various regions and designed to cater to smartphone users. Key revenue streams include commissions on transactions, transaction fees for payment gateway services, and fees for sellers utilising promotional tools and logistics solutions.
The platform’s integrated payment system, ShopeePay,92 facilitates seamless transactions, while its logistics offering, Fulfilled by Shopee (FBS),93 ensures efficient storage and delivery services. In addition, Shopee employs AI-driven personalisation and aggressive marketing tactics – such as discounts, vouchers and in-app games – to attract and retain users. This strategy proved highly effective in Southeast Asia, where Shopee became the leading e‑commerce platform with over 343 million monthly visitors in 2022.94
Shopee entered the Polish e‑commerce market in the autumn of 2021 (Reuters, 2023[15]) and within just six months it achieved significant visibility, becoming the second most visited e‑commerce platform in Poland, only behind the dominant local player, Allegro.95 This rapid rise suggested initial success in gaining traction among Polish consumers. After this initial phase, Shopee closed its Polish operations in January 2023, effectively exiting the European market. The Polish market exit followed several months of operational difficulties. Shopee had reported a loss of approximately US 931 million in the second quarter of 2022, more than double its loss of US 434 million in the same period of 2021, highlighting the financial pressures that preceded its withdrawal from the European market.96
Shopee’s attempt to enter the Polish market is a notable example of the challenges foreign e‑commerce platforms can face when expanding into new regions. Despite an initial surge in traffic and visibility, Shopee struggled to maintain momentum and ultimately exited the market. This case is relevant for the report’s analysis as it highlights the complexities of market entry, the importance of local adaptation, and the competitive dynamics within Poland’s e‑commerce landscape, where established players such as Allegro are present within the market.
Specialised online marketplaces
Some specialised marketplaces are present in Poland, including the Chinese fashion platform Shein. Additionally, several specialised online retailers, like Zalando and Decathlon, are increasingly expanding into marketplace services, as discussed in Section 4.3.2 below.
Shein
Shein, founded in 2008 in China and currently headquartered in Singapore, is a global online marketplace that specialises in fast fashion.97 Initially launched as ZZKKO, Shein began by offering affordable women’s clothing and later expanded into a diverse range of categories. Shein can be considered a specialised marketplace as it focusses primarily on fashion and apparel, including clothing, accessories, beauty products as well as home goods.98
Shein’s business model is built on vertical integration, which allows the company to have greater control over its supply chain and production processes.99 The company utilises advanced data analytics to track emerging trends, ensuring that it can quickly design, manufacture and deliver products that meet real-time consumer demand. This “fast fashion” approach enables Shein to produce smaller quantities of new designs, test them with consumers, and then ramp up production for popular items, reducing overproduction and minimising waste.100
Shein leverages skills in digital marketing to place stylish fast-fashion merchandise in front of target customers on social media sites such as Instagram, Facebook and TikTok, as well as on its own website and mobile apps.101 In particular, Shein targets young, price‑sensitive consumers by offering trendy and affordable products. This approach has resonated with younger demographics seeking fashionable items without significant financial investment. Shein’s popularity has been fuelled by this strategy, which uses email marketing and social media influencers to reach potential customers and create demand.102
Shein entered the Polish market in 2021 and has since established a significant presence in Poland, with 2.54 million monthly unique visitors to its website and 2.44 million monthly active users of its app in Poland over the 12‑month period January 2025-December 2025.
4.2.2. Lithuania
Lithuania has two local general online marketplaces. Pigu is the largest of these, operating across the whole Baltic region, while Varle is a smaller firm operating only in Lithuania. The market has also been shaped by the entry of AliExpress and Temu, which operate a distinct business model and are not, or have only recently (e.g. Temu) become available to Lithuanian sellers. Consumers may also be able to access some other online marketplaces such as eBay and Amazon, which operate from other EU jurisdictions, but which offer shipping to and from the country. Finally, a limited number of specialised online marketplaces, including Shein, are present in the jurisdiction.
Pigu (pigu.lt)
The largest general online marketplace in Lithuania is Pigu (pigu.lt), which was founded in 2008 in Lithuania as an online retailer and later launched its online marketplace in 2019. As Pigu’s online marketplace business expanded, in 2021 it was acquired by MidEuropa, a private equity firm which focusses particularly on the Central Europe region.103 As shown in Figure 4.5, Pigu’s 2023 revenue in Lithuania was EUR 159 million, up from EUR 82 million in 2018.104
Note: Varle revenue for 2018 and 2019 not available.
Source: Rekvizitai.lt; CreditInfo.
Pigu has a hybrid business model, selling its own first-party retail goods via its platform alongside products from third-party sellers. For both its first-party and third-party sales, it operates across many retail categories, including clothing, electronics, household goods and books. While Pigu’s consumer base is mostly located within the Baltic region, its platform provides the ability for local, regional and international sellers to sell their products to its customers.
Pigu generates revenue through the fees it charges to third-party sellers, which include a monthly fee (from EUR 39) and a percentage commission based on the product category (5‑15%). Pigu collects payments directly from consumers for sellers’ products and then transfers these funds to the sellers’ accounts.105 It also earns revenue directly from its own first-party retail sales and its additional services (discussed below), such as add-on logistics and advertising services charged to sellers. Pigu deploys these additional services in its ecosystem to enhance its value proposition, including offering convenience to consumers and sellers.
Pigu’s acquisition history driving its evolution into a regional player
From its origins in Lithuania, Pigu has grown into a regional player via several significant strategic acquisitions,106 broadening its reach into the Baltic region and beyond.
Pigu first expanded into other geographic markets in the early 2010s. In 2011, it acquired the Latvian online retailer 220.lv (discussed further in Section 4.2.3 below). Pigu first acquired 75% of the company in 2011, before acquiring the remaining 25% share in 2013. Following the acquisition, Pigu made substantial investments to improve the platform and increase integration between the operations of pigu.lt and 220.lv.107 Similarly, in 2013, Pigu acquired kaup24.ee, another online retailer from Estonia, with its operations now spanning the whole Baltic region.
Pigu’s regional presence expanded even further once it was acquired by the private equity firm MidEuropa in 2021. MidEuropa combined Pigu with another of its holdings, the Finnish e‑commerce company Hobby Hall, forming the Pigu Hobby Hall Group.108 In addition to its Finnish operations, Hobby Hall’s regional footprint had also been developed via a series of mergers and acquisitions, including merging with Estonian online store Hansapost.ee in 2018, which had previously acquired Xnet.lv, a Latvian online retailer, in 2013.
Looking at the current geographical extent of Pigu’s operations, Pigu’s online marketplace services are highly integrated across the four countries where it operates (Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia and Finland). Pigu launched its marketplace simultaneously in Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia in 2019 and separately in Finland (after the merger with Hobby Hall) in 2021. While it maintains separate consumer-facing domains for each country, these platforms are highly similar in design and function. Further, third-party sellers are able to reach consumers across the four countries via one unified seller interface,109 with more than 90% of sellers selling across cross-border across Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia.110
Pigu’s ecosystem: “Fulfilment by Pigu” and partnerships with logistics providers
In addition to its online platform, physical logistics and delivery infrastructure is an essential part of Pigu’s ecosystem, strengthening its value proposition for sellers and consumers alike.
Pigu’s logistics operations centre on its own warehouse and distribution networks, which are used to store, pack and deliver products to consumers. This includes Pigu’s own first-party products, as well as products sold by third-party sellers who use its “Fulfillment by Pigu” (FBP) service.111 Sellers using FBP store their goods in Pigu’s warehouses, with Pigu packing and delivering consumers’ orders once they are received and also handling item returns.
Importantly, Pigu ensures same‑day or next-day delivery for products using its FBP service and they may also be included in “free delivery” promotional campaigns for consumers. As such, sellers may also choose to use FBP in order to take advantage of the same/next-day delivery or other promotional opportunities, which are highly valued by consumers and may help their products reach more consumers.
Using the FBP service may also be particularly advantageous for sellers who do not otherwise have the scale to operate their own end-to‑end logistics networks. Pigu has recently developed an additional capability which may also support these sellers: as of November 2024, sellers can drop outgoing parcels directly to certain postal providers, either at the postal providers’ warehouses or parcel lockers,112 who will then deliver these directly to consumers.
On the consumer side, Pigu provides consumers with a choice of delivery options, including home delivery or pick up at a range of locations, such as parcel lockers, post offices and Pigu stores. Regarding parcel lockers, Pigu partners with three specific providers, offering pick up at Smartpost, LP EXPRESS or Omniva parcel lockers (which in 2024 together had 61% of the APMs operating in Lithuania, described further in Section 4.4.2 below). Pigu also operates its own lockers at seven locations in Vilnius.113 In March 2026, Pigu announced a strategic partnership with Omniva, which will become the primary delivery service provider for Pigu.lt, Kaup24.ee and 220.lv and will allow the platforms to offer same‑day delivery services. Omniva already handles over 90% of Pigu’s total parcel volumes according to the company.114
Additionally, Pigu has a network of five physical stores in Lithuania,115 where customers can pick up items they have ordered up to a certain weight limit (as well as being able to purchase products from a limited selection of items in store).
In conclusion, Pigu’s “Fulfilment by Pigu” service, as well as its partnership with a number of different delivery partners, forms the core of its delivery infrastructure. This allows it to offer consumers convenient, fast and reliable delivery and to support sellers in building their e‑commerce businesses.
Additional services provided to sellers: Advertising, analytics and seller support
In addition to “Fulfilment by Pigu”, Pigu also provides additional services to support sellers using its online marketplace, including advertising, analytics and other support. These services may assist sellers to grow their businesses and increase the revenue they make via Pigu’s online marketplace services.
In particular, Pigu offers advertising services via a partnership with the Martailer advertising platform. Using this platform, sellers can set up campaigns to advertise their products on Pigu’s online marketplace, including setting up sponsored product ads.116 These sponsored product ads have a “native” appearance and may be shown at the top of search results, or on the product pages for related products. These ads are designed to assist sellers in attracting new customers, driving traffic to their products and increasing overall sales.117 These ads are priced per click (CPC), so sellers only pay when consumers click on their product ads and there is no minimum advertising budget required.
Other services for sellers include sales management tools, including Pigu’s integration with BaseLinker, a third-party service that enables sellers to manage multiple sales channels in one place.118 Pigu also offers direct support to sellers to help them overcome cross-border barriers,119 which may include translation services and manages customer support for consumers on sellers’ behalf.
The combination of these services helps Pigu to drive take‑up of its platform by sellers, by breaking down barriers for sellers seeking to open or expand their businesses in Lithuania, and to grow their customer base and revenue.
Pigu’s loyalty programme for consumers
Pigu offers two consumer loyalty schemes, its primary loyalty programme for consumers called the “Pigu Club”120 and another scheme where customers earn “PiguEurai” based on the purchases they have made.121 These programmes appear to be designed to encourage customer retention on the platform, increasing their reliance on Pigu’s services.
Consumers can register for the Pigu Club for free, by providing their personal details on the platform, in order to receive various benefits including a free delivery code once a month and exclusive discount codes. Some of these benefits only apply for products where Pigu is the first-party seller (that is, they cannot be used for products sold by third-party sellers using Pigu’s marketplace).122
Consumers who spend over a certain threshold123 on Pigu’s platform automatically become a VIP member of the Pigu Club, which entitles them to priority service when collecting orders from Pigu stores, free or discounted delivery offers, extra discount codes and an extended returns period.
Separately, Pigu customers can earn “PiguEurai” credits based on the purchases they have made on the platform.124 Once registered for the programme, consumers earn credits at a rate 0.5% of the value of each purchase made. These credits can then be spent towards products on Pigu’s platform.125 However, similar to the Pigu Club benefits, these credits can only be used towards products where Pigu itself is the first-party seller.126
Thus, Pigu’s loyalty programmes are not only designed to drive loyalty to Pigu’s platform and online marketplace services, but particularly to steer customers towards Pigu’s own first-party products, as compared to products offered by third-party sellers on Pigu’s online marketplace.
Additional services provided to consumers: Financial services and customer support
In addition to its loyalty programmes, Pigu offers financial services for consumers via its partner, InBank. Consumers can take up payment offers via InBank to pay for purchases either in equal instalments over three months, or on a 24‑month schedule,127 enhancing consumer convenience and encouraging increased spending on Pigu’s platform.
Further, Pigu also offers considerable customer support to consumers, including a 24/7 customer support service with three call centres in five languages.128 This helps contribute to its value proposition for consumers, particularly in comparison to foreign online marketplaces.
Varle (varle.lt)
The second largest and only other general online marketplace in Lithuania is Varle (varle.lt), which offers wide range of goods from third-party sellers including electronics, clothing, cosmetics and other consumer goods. As shown above in Figure 4.5, Varle is about half the size of Pigu. Its revenue in 2024 was EUR 90 million, meaning it has grown substantially since 2020 when its revenue was around EUR 41 million.129
Varle was established in 2009 in Lithuania as an online retailer, focussing on online sales of electronics and home appliances, although it now stocks a wider range of goods across many retail segments. During the COVID‑19 pandemic, Varle launched its own online marketplace service. As such, Varle has a hybrid business model, meaning it acts as a first-party seller of goods in addition to providing an online marketplace for third-party sellers. Unlike Pigu, which operates across the Baltic region, Varle’s general online marketplace service primarily serves the Lithuanian market, although some of its other operations (such as its export business) extend beyond these borders.
Varle generates revenue from commissions on third-party sales, which are only charged on completed sales. Varle does not charge sellers a monthly fee, nor does it charge them for listing their products on its platforms. This means that sellers are only charged fees if they actually make sales via the platform. Varle is also responsible for collecting payments from consumers and disbursing these to sellers on its marketplace. Additionally, Varle also earns revenue from its first-party sales, as well as from the additional services, such as electronic repair and rental services. These services help Varle to enhance its offering for both sellers and consumers.
Varle’s ecosystem: Partnerships with logistics providers
Varle provides consumers with a choice of delivery options. Unlike Pigu, Varle does not offer warehousing or fulfilment services to sellers – rather, sellers are responsible for end-to‑end logistics, including shipping their products directly to consumers.130
As such, the delivery options available for consumers will vary based on which postal providers the seller partners with (whether that be Varle or a third-party seller). Shipping options available via Varle’s platform include LP EXPRESS, Smartpost, Omniva, Venipack and DPD (discussed further in Section 4.4.2. below).131 In general, consumers can select to have their products shipped to their homes or to a nearby parcel locker.
In some cases, products purchased online can be picked up from physical stores. Varle operates a showroom in Vilnius, where consumers can opt to pick-up certain products where Varle is the seller, however, this is not available for products sold from third-party sellers. Rather, some third-party sellers provide an option for consumers to pick up products directly from their own physical stores. Separately, Varle has a network of over 20 physical stores across Lithuania, some of which are operated on a franchise basis.132 However, these are not connected to its marketplace and consumers cannot pick-up items from third-party sellers at these stores.
As such, Varle’s network of delivery partners provides consumers with significant convenience when shopping online via Varle’s online marketplace. However, Varle does not offer logistics services to sellers, with sellers required to establish or acquire their own logistics services in order to use Varle’s platform to sell their products.
Additional services provided to sellers: Financial services and Varle’s export business
Varle provides some additional services to sellers to support their use of its marketplace, including acting as an intermediary to manage payments for foreign sellers, who are required to open bank accounts in Lithuania to receive payment for their goods.
Varle also offers import and export services within the EU through a B2B framework.133 This includes operating as a consumer electronics distributor in Europe and as a wholesale supplier of IT products, targeted at retailers seeking electronics export or distribution services, or e‑commerce businesses seeking a Baltics electronics distributor.
Varle’s B2B operations may help provide it with additional scale and expertise required to compete in its core online marketplace service, strengthening its overall operations and ecosystem.
Varle’s loyalty programme for consumers
Varle offers a loyalty programme for consumers who register via its platform, to improve consumers’ experience and enhance engagement. As part of the programme, consumers receive various discount offers. At the core of Varle’s loyalty programme is a virtual currency (“VarleEuros”) which can be earned by spending money on the varle.lt platform, at a value of 0.5% of every purchase. Once accumulated, these credits are available to spend on products where Varle is the seller – that is, VarleEuros cannot be used to purchase goods from third-party sellers on the Varle marketplace.134
Therefore, Varle’s loyalty scheme not only encourages consumers to regularly use Varle’s online marketplace platform but also directs them towards spend money directly on Varle’s first-party products when redeeming VarleEuros.
Additional services provided to consumers: Financial services and electronics services
Varle also has other services for consumers, which may serve to enhance its value proposition and encourage consumer loyalty to its brand. For instance, through Varle’s partner Klix, consumers can sign up for a deferred payment (loan) option for their purchases on the Varle marketplace,135 promoting increased spending on Varle’s platform.
Notably, Varle offers a range of add-on services for consumers relating to electronics. For instance, Varle offers professional repair services for computer equipment, which are provided in their stores or by external providers,136 as well as a rental service for electronic equipment.137
Varle uses these additional services to differentiate itself from its competitors, marketing itself to consumers as a premium platform offering a full suite of services and support options.138
AliExpress and Temu
Similar to the situation in Poland, e‑commerce in Lithuania has evolved with the arrival of various low-cost Chinese online marketplaces, including AliExpress and Temu. The business models of these firms have already been outlined above in Section 4.2.1, however any specific details relevant to Lithuania are presented in this section.
As discussed above, Lithuanian consumers are growing in confidence and comfort with shopping online, generating the conditions in which these foreign marketplaces are able to enter and expand into Lithuania. Indeed, the successful marketing of these platforms and their easy-to‑use, often mobile‑based, interfaces, may be further influencing consumer behaviour to be more favourable towards online shopping.
AliExpress is available to consumers in 230 different countries and regions,139 including Lithuania. Although consumers can set their region to Lithuania, the platform itself is not available in the Lithuanian language.140 AliExpress has partnered with regional players in the Baltic, including Omniva parcel delivery service (discussed below), to make it easier for consumers to receive shipments.141 However, sellers from Lithuania cannot join the platform, which is only open to sellers in China and a small number of selected other countries.142
Temu launched in Lithuania in 2023. As shown in Figure 4.6, Temu has experienced substantial traffic growth since then, particularly in 2025.
Note: As Similarweb does not allow filtering to Lithuanian users only, these estimates were computed by weighting Temu’s worldwide monthly website visits by the monthly share of Temu traffic originating from Lithuania. The resulting figures are then restricted to “engaged visits” by excluding sessions that ended after a single page view, to better approximate meaningful user engagement and potential transactions.
Source: OECD calculations based on SimilarWeb data.
There is a Lithuanian version of Temu’s platform which is available in English, Lithuanian and Russian.143 Temu’s shipping partners in Lithuania include Lithuania Post, DPD, Venipak and Omniva (described further below). Temu started to expand to allow European sellers in mid-2024, limited initially to sellers from Germany, France, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands or the United Kingdom.144 As such, Temu has historically been closed to Lithuanian sellers, although this changed in mid-October 2025 when it announced that it was opening to Baltic sellers with its Local Merchant Programme.145 In particular, this programme allows local businesses to sell on its marketplace and fulfil orders from within their own markets. Further, through a new integration with Shopify,146 merchants using this platform can list products on Temu, synchronise inventory and manage orders directly from their existing systems (PR Newswire, 2025[16]).
Neither AliExpress or Temu offer logistics services to sellers and, in comparison to the local online marketplaces described above, items from these marketplaces generally take longer to arrive in Lithuania – for example, items on Temu may have an expected delivery time of 1‑2 weeks, as compared to same or next day delivery. Further, the lack of a Lithuanian language option on the platform or customer support services in Lithuanian may raise barriers to access for consumers from the region, although the extent of this may vary between different groups of consumers.
Despite these drawbacks, these platforms continue to grow in popularity amongst Lithuanian consumers in recent years.
Relevant online marketplaces from outside the jurisdiction
There are a number of large online marketplaces, such as eBay, Amazon and Allegro, which despite not operating directly in Lithuania, offer shipping to Lithuania and can be accessed by Lithuanian consumers to purchase a wide range of goods. Lithuanian sellers are also able to register and offer their products via these platforms, which primarily target consumers in other parts of Europe. Stakeholder feedback and traffic data suggests that these platforms are used to some extent by Lithuanian consumers.
eBay, described in Section 4.2.1, operates its platform on a global basis, with shipping (including to Lithuania) managed by individual sellers. Lithuanian sellers can use the platform, and eBay has previously engaged in active outreach to sellers in Lithuania to encourage their use of the platform.147
In the case of Amazon (described in detail in Section 4.2.1. above), Lithuanian consumers can use Amazon stores from other European jurisdictions, such as Amazon’s German marketplace (amazon.de), to buy certain products – despite it not being available in Lithuanian.148 On amazon.de, Amazon has recently introduced free delivery for Lithuanian consumers with a minimum spend of EUR 59 and if the seller has chosen to deliver to Lithuania.149
Further, Lithuanian sellers are able to register as sellers on Amazon, either accessing Amazon’s fulfilment services or establishing their own logistics and postal partnerships. FBA sellers from Lithuania can use Amazon’s Preferred Shippers Program to send their inventory to Amazon fulfilment centres across Europe, which is delivered in partnership with DPD,150 selling to customers across Europe.
With regard to Poland’s largest online marketplace Allegro (described in detail in Section 4.2.1. above), there are some indications that it is, to a limited extent, used by consumers in Lithuania, despite the platform not being available in the Lithuanian language.151
Delivery is available to Lithuanian consumers via international courier (DHL) if enabled by the seller,152 at a maximum delivery cost of 29.99 PLN (EUR 7)153 and an estimated delivery time of 2‑3 working days. Delivery from Poland to Lithuania is always to the nearest DHL Parcel partner point.154 However, Lithuanian consumers cannot benefit from the free delivery and returns offered as part of Allegro’s loyalty programme, Allegro Smart.
On the seller side, international sellers (including Lithuanian sellers) can use its platform to reach customers in Poland and Central Europe.155It offers various features to support this, including communicating with sellers in English and offering automatic translation of listings and messages into Polish. International sellers can access Allegro’s One Fulfillment service,156 although they may also choose to partner with alternative logistics providers.
While it appears unlikely that Amazon and Allegro will expand their operations into Lithuania in the short term, the use of these platforms by Lithuanian consumers may continue to grow, if barriers to accessing these platforms continue to decrease.
For the platforms described above, shipping is generally more expensive for consumers compared to local alternatives and it may take longer for goods to arrive. Moreover, these platforms do not have a local presence in the country and offer relatively limited services to Lithuanian sellers, if at all. As such, these platforms are primarily relevant from the consumer perspective, albeit to a limited extent.
Specialised online marketplaces
Similarly to Poland, some specialised marketplaces are present in Lithuania. One such platform is Shein: a specialised online marketplace focussing on the fashion segment, operating from China with a similar business model to AliExpress and Temu (described in detail in Section 4.2.1. above). Shein is available to consumers in Lithuania, but does not offer a Lithuanian language version of the platform,157 and does not allow Lithuanian sellers to offer their products on the platform.158 Also in the fashion segment, online retailer Zalando (discussed in Section 4.3.2 below) has recently expanded its marketplace services in the jurisdiction.
eneba.com is a fast-growing Lithuanian online marketplace that specialises in video games and related items, and experienced substantial growth during the COVID‑19 pandemic.159 It is both a C2C and B2C marketplace, where consumers can sell their used video games and related items, or game developers and stores can sell video games or access keys directly to consumers.
4.2.3. Latvia
Latvia is home to one major general online marketplace: 220.lv which is owned by Pigu (discussed in detail in Section 4.2.2. above). Pigu’s operations are highly integrated across the whole Baltic region, including the 220.lv marketplace in Latvia. Latvian consumers may also access platforms such as AliExpress and Temu, as well as online retailers, including 1a.lv (Senukai), which operate with a different business model and are discussed further in Section 4.3.2.
Pigu (220.lv)
The primary general online marketplace in Latvia is 220.lv. Stakeholders identify 220.lv as the only significant general online marketplace serving Latvian consumers and businesses.160
220.lv operations and business model are very similar to that of Pigu’s Lithuanian marketplace pigu.lt, described in detail in Section 4.2.2. above. Given the highly integrated nature of its operations across the Baltic region, including between the 220.lv and pigu.lt platforms, many aspects of this description also apply to its operations in Latvia. However, this section will set out the specific history of 220.lv in Latvia, and any aspects of Pigu’s operations which are specific to Latvia.
220.lv was first founded in Latvia in 2003 as an online retailer, before its acquisition by Pigu in 2011.161 Following this acquisition, Pigu invested substantially in 220.lv to improve its operations and to increase the integration between its Lithuanian and Latvian businesses. These investments including modernising 220.lv’s warehouses and improving customer service, enabling it to process orders twice as fast and opening an additional storage warehouse in Riga to increase its product range.162 As shown in Figure 4.7, Pigu Latvia’s revenue was around EUR 38 million in 2023, up from EUR 25 million in 2018.163
Source: Pigu Latvia Annual Report 2024.
220.lv launched its online marketplace in 2019, simultaneous with the launch of Pigu’s online marketplaces in Lithuania and Estonia. Together with Pigu’s operations in these other countries, 220.lv was acquired by the private equity firm MidEuropa in 2021, which it combined with another of its holdings, the Finnish e‑commerce company Hobby Hall. To explain the Latvian dimension of this transaction, Hobby Hall had previously merged with the Estonian online store Hansapost.ee in 2018, which itself had previously acquired Xnet.lv, an important Latvian online retailer, in 2013. Following the merger, Xnet.lv no longer exists and its URL redirects to the 220.lv platform.
As mentioned above, 220.lv and Pigu’s other online marketplaces in Lithuania, Estonia and Finland (launched in 2021) are highly integrated in their functionality and operations and sellers can target consumers across the four countries via one unified seller interface. This means that, while 220.lv is targeted at Latvian consumers, it can host sellers from Latvia and the broader Baltic region, as well as international sellers. Latvian sellers can also benefit from this integration and can use Pigu’s system to sell products in the other countries where Pigu is active (Lithuania, Estonia and Finland).
220.lv’s ecosystem
Pigu’s ecosystem operates in largely the same way in Latvia as described above in Section 4.2.2. for Lithuania, in line with Pigu’s unified business structure across the countries where it operates.
For instance, Fulfilment by Pigu, Pigu’s integrated, end-to‑end logistics service for sellers, also operates in Latvia. While the main warehouse is in Vilnius, there are also fulfilment hubs located in Latvia.164 On the consumer side, 220.lv offers Latvian consumers the option of home delivery, or pick up at Itella Smartpost, DPD, Omniva or Latvian Post parcel machines.165 220.lv also has one store in Riga,166 where customers can pick up items they have ordered or purchase products directly from the relatively limited range available in store. 220.lv’s other services for sellers, including advertising, analytics and seller support, are the same in Latvia as for Lithuania.
On the consumer side, 220.lv’s loyalty programmes operate in the same manner as Pigu’s loyalty programmes, however with slightly different branding: the loyalty club is called the “220.lv klub” and the virtual currency is called “220.lv nauda”,167 capitalising on the strong 220.lv brand. Other consumer services are also the same as for Lithuania, including the financial services partnership with InBank,168 and Pigu’s customer support services.
In conclusion, like Pigu in Lithuania, 220.lv has a comprehensive ecosystem of service offerings, including its integrated Fulfilment by Pigu logistics service, which makes it highly attractive to consumers and sellers alike.
AliExpress and Temu
Similarly to Lithuania and Poland, Latvia has also seen the recent entry of AliExpress and Temu. The business models of these firms are outlined above in Section 4.2.1. AliExpress is available in Latvia but does not offer a Latvian-language version of its platform. Further, sellers from Latvia cannot join the platform, which is only open to sellers from a small number of countries.
Temu launched in Latvia in 2023 and, similar to Poland and Lithuania, has experienced significant traffic growth since its launch in the country, with a peak in 2025, as shown in Figure 4.8.
Note: As Similarweb does not allow filtering to Lithuanian users only, these estimates were computed by weighting Temu’s worldwide monthly website visits by the monthly share of Temu traffic originating from Latvia. The resulting figures are then restricted to “engaged visits” by excluding sessions that ended after a single page view, to better approximate meaningful user engagement and potential transactions.
Source: OECD calculations based on SimilarWeb data.
Temu offers a Latvian version of its platform which is available in three languages: Latvian, English and Russian. Temu’s shipping partners in Latvia are the same as for Lithuania: Lithuania Post, DPD, Venipak and Omniva. Further, Temu has entered into a strategic partnership with Unisend to improve last-mile delivery services in the Baltic states.169
Within Europe, and as mentioned above in the context of the Lithuanian market, Temu has allowed sellers from Germany, France, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands or the United Kingdom since mid-2024, with the platform opening to Baltic sellers in late 2025.170 Notably, neither AliExpress nor Temu offer comprehensive logistics services for sellers as part of their business model.
Other online marketplaces from outside the jurisdiction
Similar to the situation in Lithuania, stakeholder feedback indicates that Latvian consumers can and do also purchase goods from Amazon and Allegro, which do not directly operate in Latvia but which allowing shipping to the country. Latvian sellers can also use these platforms to offer goods for sale to consumers outside the jurisdiction.
Amazon, described in detail in Section 4.2.1. above and in relation to the Lithuanian market in Section 4.2.2., is used to a limited extent by some consumers and sellers in Latvia. While not operating a Latvian store, Amazon recently began offering free delivery to consumers in Latvia with a minimum spend of EUR 59 via amazon.de,171 although amazon.de is not available in any local languages. Like Lithuanian sellers, Latvian sellers are eligible to sell on Amazon and to use Amazon’s fulfilment services delivered in partnership with DPD.172
Allegro, described in detail in Section 4.2.1. above and in relation to Lithuania in Section 4.2.2., is also not present presence in Latvia, but it may be used by Latvian consumers and sellers in some instances. While Latvian consumers cannot sign up for Allegro’s loyalty programme, Allegro Smart, which offers free delivery and returns, they can have goods delivered via international courier (DHL) if this is enabled by the seller.173 Further, Allegro’s platform is not available in Latvia’s local languages. Similar to the situation for Lithuanian sellers, Latvian sellers can access support from Allegro to sell to customers in Poland and the broader region via its platform, including using Allegro’s One Fulfillment service, if they choose to do so.174
As such, while Amazon and Allegro are not targeted at Latvian consumers, nor do they offer a local platform or customer support, they can used by consumers within Latvia to purchase items as shipping is offered to the jurisdiction. Latvian sellers can also use these platforms to reach consumers beyond the jurisdiction.
eBay, described in Section 4.2.1, is also present in the jurisdiction, due to its global basis of operations. Latvian sellers can use the platform to sell to consumers in Latvia and beyond and individual sellers (from within or outside Latvia) may choose to ship to Latvian consumers.
Specialised online marketplaces
Although there are not many examples, there are some specialised marketplaces operating in Latvia. The main platform is Shein, which also operates in Poland and Lithuania and whose business model is described above. Relevant to Latvia specifically, Shein does not offer a Latvian-language version of its platform, nor is it open to Latvian sellers. Discussed further in Section 4.3.2 below, online retailer Zalando also has added marketplace services in the fashion segment.
In continuity with the definitions in Chapter 2, the following section aims to provide an in-depth mapping of the “neighbouring markets” segment, with respect to online marketplaces within Poland, Lithuania and Latvia – namely, OCAS platforms and online retailers.
As already mentioned, the core focus remains on online marketplaces, which are the central players in this report. While other commerce actors are acknowledged and discussed to offer a broader context, the goal is not to provide an exhaustive overview of every single player active in the e‑commerce landscape. Instead, this section will highlight specific examples of OCAS platforms and online retailers to demonstrate how they interact with and complement the online marketplace ecosystem. By providing this contextual backdrop, this report aims to illustrate the interconnectedness of the various segments without detracting from the primary focus on online marketplaces.
4.3.1. Online classified ads
As illustrated above, the e‑commerce sector is a diverse and evolving landscape, encompassing various platforms that cater to distinct needs and transaction models. Among these, OCAS represent a vital segment. While they share some similarities with online marketplaces, particularly their intermediary role in connecting buyers and sellers, OCAS differ significantly in their business model, structure, transaction processes and user dynamics. This section focusses on the characteristics of OCAS, highlighting how they differ from online marketplaces and discussing their integral role within the broader e‑commerce sphere.
Poland
In Poland, OCAS have gained significant traction, particularly among users seeking affordable, second-hand, or niche products. The E‑commerce in Poland 2024 report by Gemius indicates that in 2024 61% of Polish internet users have purchased second-hand items online.175 Despite their differences from online marketplaces, OCAS undoubtedly form an essential part of e‑commerce, meeting specific consumer needs and driving economic activity.
OLX is a major Polish player in the sector, which was established in Poland and previously owned by Allegro, but which now operates on a global basis. Also present in Poland are Facebook Marketplace, operated on a global basis as part of the Facebook social networking platform and Vinted, a specialised OCAS from Lithuania which focusses on the fashion segment.
OLX Poland
OLX, owned by the South African multinational Naspers,176 was originally founded in 2006 by Allegro, as tablica.pl and acquired by Naspers (with Allegro) in 2008. In 2014, Naspers consolidated its various classified businesses (operating in different countries) under the brand OLX (Sierant, 2014[17]), with the company now having its headquarters in Amsterdam. Allegro later shifted its focus to B2C e‑commerce, allowing OLX to specialise in C2C online classified ads and the two platforms no longer have the same owner (Allegro was sold by Naspers in 2016). Poland is now OLX’s largest market, with 11.72 million monthly unique visitors over the 12‑month period January 2025 to December 2025.177
OLX Poland178 offers a diverse range of product categories, including real estate, vehicles, electronics, fashion and services, making it a horizontal OCAS platform.
While the platform primarily caters to C2C transactions, some professional sellers, including small businesses, also use OLX to reach consumers. Its business model is centred on facilitating matches between buyers and sellers, with transactions typically taking place off-platform. However, OLX has adapted to consumer demands by introducing a “pay and ship” feature,179 which enables buyers to purchase items directly through the OLX platform by making a payment, while OLX arranges for the item to be picked up from the seller and shipped to the buyer’s address through third-party partnerships. The platform monetises its services through listing fees, value‑added services such as ad promotions and a take‑rate system for transactions facilitated through its pay-and-ship feature. Despite these innovations, OLX maintains its identity as an OCAS platform rather than an online marketplace, emphasising its role in connecting users rather than managing transactions directly.
Facebook Marketplace in Poland
Facebook Marketplace is a widely used OCAS platform integrated within the Facebook social networking platform. Launched in 2016, Marketplace is a platform integrated into Facebook that enables users to buy and sell goods and services, primarily at the local level. The platform is accessible directly through the Facebook app or website, offering users a seamless experience as it connects with their existing profiles, social networks and groups.180
Facebook Marketplace, like OLX, can be considered a horizontal OCAS platform, as it supports the buying and selling of a wide variety of products and services across multiple categories rather than specialising in a single segment.181
Unlike traditional online marketplaces, Facebook Marketplace primarily operates as C2C platform, though it also accommodates small businesses and professional sellers. Users can list items for sale across various categories, including furniture, electronics, clothing, vehicles and real estate. Listings are simple to create, with sellers uploading photos, descriptions and prices directly from their devices. Transactions are usually arranged independently between buyers and sellers, occurring off-platform without formal logistics or integrated payment systems.
Despite its popularity, the platform has notable limitations. Facebook Marketplace lacks robust mechanisms for buyer and seller protection compared to more structured platforms. There is no standardised shipping or payment option built into the system, which can sometimes lead to trust issues, fraud, or disputes. Users are responsible for negotiating terms, meeting in person, or arranging third-party delivery, which adds complexity to the process.
Facebook Marketplace has gained significant traction in Poland and other markets due to its ease of use and the ubiquity of Facebook as a social platform.182 However, its informal nature and reliance on user-driven logistics distinguish it from more traditional e‑commerce or OCAS platforms. This blend of accessibility and simplicity makes it an appealing choice for casual users, particularly those seeking second-hand items or looking to declutter, but its limited formal protections and logistics infrastructure highlight its primary role as a facilitator of local exchanges rather than a fully developed e‑commerce platform.
Emerging platform: The case of Vinted in Poland
Unlike OLX and Facebook Marketplace, Vinted, a Lithuania-based company founded in 2008, initially started operating as a vertical OCAS platform, focussing exclusively on the fashion segment, being specialised in second-hand clothing and accessories. Vinted entered the Polish market in 2013,183 and has rapidly gained popularity, particularly among younger users interested in sustainable fashion.
Over time, however, Vinted has broadened its scope beyond fashion. In recent years, the platform has expanded its service offering to include additional product categories such as consumer electronics, books, home decor and furniture, in several jurisdictions. This diversification might indeed represent a strategic move aimed at extending Vinted’s market reach and attracting new user segments.
Vinted’s strength lies in its easy-to‑use interface and growing reputation for trust and security, offering features such as buyer protection and integrated payment and shipping options. While Vinted may not yet rival the scale of companies like OLX, its evolution from a fashion-focussed vertical platform into a broader second-hand marketplace underscores its increasing importance within the Polish online e‑commerce ecosystem.
Lithuania
Skelbiu and Alio are the two main OCAS platforms which operate in Lithuania. These platforms are traditional C2C classifieds platforms which allow users to connect on the platform to buy and sell goods, which are mostly second-hand, while transactions (including payment and delivery) largely take place off the platform. Lithuania is also home to Vinted, a major specialised classified ads platform focussed on second-hand clothing and operating in over 20 countries.
Beyond these platforms, Lithuania is also home to several small specialised C2C marketplaces, which focus on just a particular retail segment. Discussed above, eneba.com is a local platform with some C2C elements, focussing on video games. In another case, the online retailers knygos.lt, the largest Lithuanian online bookstore,184 has expanded to offer a C2C marketplace for used books.185 Given their narrow focus and small size, these platforms are distinct from the larger general online marketplaces considered in this report.
Further, Lithuanian consumers may access platforms such as Facebook Marketplace (discussed above). Facebook Marketplace has extensive operations throughout Europe and is available in Lithuania, however it has not been identified as a particularly significant player in Lithuania.
In light of this, this section will provide details only on the key players of relevance to Lithuanian consumers in the context of this report: Skelbiu, Alio and Vinted.
Skelbiu and Alio in Lithunia
Skelbiu and Alio provide C2C classifieds services which are focussed on second-hand goods and allow users to post ads across a very wide range of product categories.
Skelbiu is owned by the Baltic Classifieds Group, who also owns several other classifieds platforms, including specialised platforms for automative and real estate ads in Lithuania and the comparison-shopping service Kainos.lt (discussed in Section 4.4.1. below),186 while Alio is independently operated. Over the 12‑month period January 2025 to December 2025, Skelbiu had 1.05 million monthly unique visitors, while Alio had 0.20 million.187
As OCAS platforms and differently from B2C online marketplaces, Skelbiu and Alio generally do not process payments on the website or co‑ordinate delivery of any goods – rather, this is organised by the platforms’ users outside the platform. Skelbiu operates on a freemium model, where most listings are published for free, but users can pay to improve the ranking of their ads or to extend how long it is displayed for.188 Businesses can also purchase subscription packages for ad management or increased visibility. Similarly, Alio allows user to publish and interact with listings for free, with paid services available to increase the visibility and extend the duration of listings.189
Vinted: Lithuania’s first unicorn company
Another major Lithuanian player in online classified ads is Vinted (its business model is discussed in detail in the section on Poland above). While Vinted now operates in over 20 different countries, it was founded in Lithuania in 2008 and became Lithuania’s first unicorn company in 2019 (valuation of over USD 1 billion).190
Unlike Skelbiu and Alio, Vinted manages payments between users via its platform. However, sellers are responsible for sending items directly to buyers. Sellers do not pay fees for using the platform, although they may pay a fee to boost the ranking of their listings, while buyers pay a buyer protection fee and shipping costs for each transaction (Frost, 2024[18]). Professional sellers are not allowed to use the Vinted online platform.191
Although it is an important player in the Lithuanian tech sector, Vinted differs from the general online marketplaces in its focus on second-hand goods and restrictions on professional sellers. The interactions between OCAS platforms and online marketplaces will be considered in more detail in Chapter 6.
Latvia
The primary OCAS in Latvia is ss.lv, which is a C2C classifieds service, focussed mainly on second-hand goods, with some B2C elements, specifically second-hand car dealers and real estate agents. In addition, other OCAS platforms are present in Latvia. Vinted has entered the Latvian market in October 2025 and now allows members to trade across a broad range of categories, notwithstanding the focus on fashion.192 Another relevant player is Andele Mandele,193 a Latvia-based platform focussed primarily on second-hand clothing and lifestyle goods. Between December 2022 and December 2025, Andele Mandele attracted an average of approximately 1.1 million visits per month, with an average of around 133 000 unique visitors per month over the same period.194 While these platforms are more category-focussed compared to ss.lv’s horizontal classifieds model, they constitute additional C2C alternatives in the Latvian market.
In light of this, this section will provide details a snapshot of ss.lv’s operations in Latvia, highlighting its business model and relevance for the report.
ss.lv: Latvia’s primary horizontal online classifieds ads platforms
Ss.lv was founded in 1994,195 and provides a platform through which users can post ads in a diverse range of categories, including electronics, clothing and household items, as well as other segments such as pets, real estate and automative sales. Between January 2023 and January 2026, ss.lv attracted an average of approximately 5.4 million visits per month, with an average of around 708 000 unique visitors per month over the same period.196 In 2022, the parcel delivery service provider Omniva noted that 20% of its business in Latvia consisted of second-hand goods, with ss.lv as the most popular marketplace (EU-Japan Centre for Industrial Cooperation, 2022[4]).
Ss.lv is focussed on second-hand goods and, unlike the online marketplaces described above, transactions generally take place off the platform. This means that ss.lv is not responsible for processing payments on the website or co‑ordinating delivery of goods. Ss.lv earns revenue from advertising, providing the opportunity for advertisers to purchase banner ads on its platform.197
While it is clear that ss.lv’s operations are different from 220.lv, due to its focus on second-hand goods and distinct business model, the exact extent of substitutability between OCAS platforms and online marketplaces will be discussed further in Chapter 6.
4.3.2. Online retailers
The digital retail space in Poland, Lithuania and Latvia features a wide range of platforms, each catering to specific consumer needs. Online retailers generally offer a more curated and personalised shopping experience compared to online marketplaces, prioritising providing specialised product offerings, strong brand identity and a consistent customer experience. However, their limitations include narrower product selections, reliance on costly direct marketing and challenges with scaling logistics.
Poland
Zalando and Decathlon are among the most popular online retailers operating in Poland, that have also recently expanded into offering some degree of online marketplace services, which is why they have been selected for a detailed description in this analysis. Zalando represents a leading online‑only fashion and lifestyle marketplace, and Decathlon is a key player in the sporting goods segment. While other online retailers exist, these companies were selected particularly due to their relevance to the competitive landscape examined in this report (i.e. their expansion into marketplace services), as well as their scale and market influence. Although online retailers such as these play a significant role in the broader e‑commerce ecosystem, detailed information about their market shares and operations is outside the scope of this report.
Zalando in Poland
Zalando is a leading online fashion retailer and a significant player in Poland’s e‑commerce market. The company is headquartered in Germany and operates as part of Zalando SE, one of Europe’s largest fashion and lifestyle e‑commerce groups. Founded in 2008, Zalando initially focussed on footwear before expanding into a broad range of fashion categories, including apparel, accessories and beauty products.198
The platform entered the Polish market in 2012, marking one of its early expansions into Central and Eastern Europe. Unlike online marketplaces that connect third-party sellers with buyers, Zalando primarily operates as an online retailer, managing its own inventory and sales. However, in recent years, it has incorporated marketplace elements through the Zalando Partner Program,199 allowing brands and retailers to sell directly on its platform while benefiting from Zalando’s logistics and customer base.
Zalando’s business model revolves around direct sales, but it also generates revenue through its marketplace commission structure and advertising solutions for brands. Additionally, the company has developed advanced logistics capabilities, including fulfillment centres in Poland, which enable efficient order processing and fast delivery. Its Zalando Plus200 subscription service further enhances customer loyalty by offering premium shipping options and exclusive deals.
Decathlon in Poland
Decathlon is a leading retailer specialising in sports and outdoor equipment. Originally founded in 1976 and headquartered in France, Decathlon operates globally.201 The company entered the Polish market in 2001 and has since become a leading player in the country’s sports retail sector.202
While Decathlon is an online retailer, it has integrated a multi-channel approach that includes both physical stores and an e‑commerce platform, as well as some marketplace functions by allowing third‑party sellers to offer goods on its platform. The company offers a broad selection of products, including sporting goods, fitness equipment, clothing and outdoor gear, catering to both amateur and professional athletes.
The company’s online platform has grown significantly in Poland, offering key services like in-store pickup and easy returns, which enhance the customer experience. Decathlon has also adapted to local market demands, providing tailored solutions to Polish consumers who value affordable pricing and convenience.
Lithuania
Lithuania has one major general online retailer, Senukai, which sells across a wide range of retail categories. Senukai operates an online store alongside its considerable network of physical stores in Lithuania and across the Baltic countries. There are also many specialised Lithuanian online retailers, which may sell products in just one retail category or under one brand.
Other notable online retailers which have entered the Lithuanian market include Zalando, which focusses on the fashion retail segment. Further, with the growth of online shopping and lowering digital barriers, Lithuanian consumers may be increasingly able to access a vast array of online retailers from outside the jurisdiction which offer shipping to their country.
The boundaries between online marketplaces and online retailers may not always be distinct. For instance, hybrid online marketplaces also sell their own inventory alongside that of third-party sellers. Indeed, Pigu and Varle evolved from online retailers to become online marketplaces, adding their marketplace business to their existing retail operations, with other firms such as Zalando also potentially following this evolution.
While providing a comprehensive list of all online retailers available in Lithuania is outside the scope of this report, this section provides an overview of the operations of Senukai, the largest Lithuanian general online retailer and Zalando, an important recent entrant to the Lithuanian market.
Senukai in Lithuania
Senukai is a major regional player in the Baltic states, including Lithuania. Through its Lithuanian online store, Senukai.lt, Senukai operates as a general online retailer across a diverse array of retail segments. In 2024, Senukai’s online business generated revenue of EUR 151 million in Lithuania, up from EUR 89 million in Lithuania in 2020.203
Senukai’s origins are as a traditional retail business, which it established in Lithuania in 1992.204 As part of this business, it operates a large network of stores across the Baltic states specialising in house construction, and home repair and improvement. In Lithuania, Senukai operates 73 stores (25 owned directly and 48 franchises).205
Expanding its retail footprint online, Senukai launched its online store Senukai.lt in 2009 in Lithuania.206 Further, in 2018, Senukai acquired 1a.lv, one of the biggest e‑commerce companies in Latvia (discussed further in the Latvia section below). Senukai’s online stores carry a much wider range of products compared to its physical stores, which specialise in home repair and improvement.207
In some cases, consumers can pick up items purchased online at Senukai’s physical stores. Consumers can also select other delivery options, including home delivery or pick up at a Omniva, DPD, LP EXPRESS or Itella Smartpost parcel lockers (discussed further in Section 4.4.2. below).
Senukai also has a range of additional services available for consumers, similar to Pigu and Varle’s service offering. Its consumer loyalty programme called “Smart Net” offers consumers a range of discounts, the ability to earn credits towards future purchases and an extended returns period.208 It also offers financial services via a partner, Klix, including a payment plan option (for 12 or 24 months) and a “smart leasing” option (36 months).209
As such, Senukai has a vast service offering for consumers in Lithuania, building on its long history in the country and its established brand via its traditional retailing business.
Zalando in Lithuania
Zalando launched in Lithuania in June 2021, at the same time as launching in the Slovak Republic and Slovenia (shortly before entering the other Baltic states, including Latvia, in July of the same year).210 Zalando’s service offering for consumers in Lithuania includes free delivery and free returns for up to 30 days after purchase, as well as customer support services offered in Lithuanian (see the Poland section above for a detailed description of Zalando’s business model).
Following its launch in Lithuania, existing sellers on the Zalando platform were able to extend their operations into Lithuania, and local sellers in Lithuania were able to apply to join Zalando’s Partner Program.211 However, Zalando operates a close marketplace, meaning that it is not possible for parties to register directly to sign up for its marketplace – rather, Zalando will contact them with an offer to sell on the platform.212
Sellers from Lithuania must use Zalando’s fulfilment service, Zalando Fulfillment Solutions (ZFS), to sell via the platform, as they are not eligible to use alternative logistics partners.213 Lithuanian sellers can use this logistics network to send their goods to consumers throughout Europe, including to consumers in Lithuania. ZFS uses Omniva’s postal network to ship items to consumers in Lithuania.214
Zalando’s extensive logistics network across Europe may mean that it is well positioned to continue to grow in popularity amongst Lithuanian consumers and sellers. The level of substitutability between online retailers and the online marketplaces, which are the focus of this report, will be discussed further in Chapter 6.
Latvia
Similar to Lithuania, there is one major general online retailer present in Latvia, Senukai, which runs the popular online store 1a.lv. There are also many smaller specialised online retailers, both in Latvia and internationally, which may sell in just one particular retail category and provide an alternative for consumers only in certain circumstances. This includes Zalando, which entered the Latvian market in 2021.
While this report does not endeavour to provide a complete picture of the full e‑commerce landscape, below is a brief profile of Senukai and Zalando’s operations in Latvia.
Senukai (1a.lv) in Latvia
Senukai has a significant offline and online retail business in the Baltic region, including Latvia. Its operations are described in detail in the section about Lithuania above. Mostly relevantly to Latvia, Senukai acquired 1a.lv, one of the biggest e‑commerce companies in Latvia in 2018. 1a.lv was founded in 2002 and started out as an electronics online retailer, but evolved to become a general online retailer,215 selling goods across a wide range of retail segments. Senukai also operates the website ksenukai.lv in Latvia. Across its two websites, Senukai had 0.55 million monthly unique visitors over the 12‑month period January 2025 to December 2025.216 Senukai’s Latvian online business earned revenue of EUR 66 million in 2022, up from 41 million in 2017.
Similar to its operations in Lithuania, Senukai also has a network of physical stores focussed on house construction and improvement, with 11 stores operating in Latvia.217 However, its online store carries a much wider range of products, covering many retail segments, compared to its physical stores. In-store pick-up is available in some cases for customers of 1a.lv in Latvia, as well as home delivery or pick up at a Omniva, DPD or Itella parcel locker.218 Latvian consumers can also sign up for the consumer loyalty programme “Smart Net” or other financial services, described above.
Zalando in Latvia
Zalando launched in Latvia in July 2021, in parallel to its expansion into Croatia and Estonia,219 and following its launch in Lithuania in June of the same year. Zalando’s business model is described in detail in Section 4.3.2. In late 2024, Zalando announced its plans to merge with AboutYou, another widely used online retailer in Latvia,220 which was completed in 2025.221
Consumers in Latvia are eligible for free delivery and free returns for up to 30 days after purchase and benefit from pre- and post-purchase customer support in Latvian. Similar to Lithuania, local sellers in Latvia are able to apply to join Zalando’s Partner Program,222 although Zalando’s website notes that it is not possible for parties to register directly to sign up for Zalando – rather, Zalando will contact them with an offer to sell on the platform.223 Sellers are required to use Zalando’s fulfilment service, which partners with Omniva’s postal network in Latvia.224
As described in Chapter 2, while the focus of this report is on online marketplaces, there are numerous other digital markets that form part to the broader e‑commerce ecosystem, which provide useful infrastructure to support e‑commerce businesses. In particular, related markets involve services which are essential for the functioning of online marketplaces. In contrast, supporting markets involve services which are not themselves essential to the functioning of the marketplaces, but which enhance the value proposition of online marketplaces.
While there are many different services that fall within related and supporting markets for online marketplaces, the most relevant of these for the purpose of this report are logistics and delivery services (related) and comparison-shopping services (supporting). As such, the following sections provide a mapping of key market actors services in both of these sectors, for each of Poland, Lithuania and Latvia respectively.
As mentioned in Chapter 2, for ease of reference throughout the report, these related and supporting markets will collectively be referred to as ancillary markets.
4.4.1. Logistics and delivery services
Logistics and delivery services play a crucial role in the growth of online marketplaces and the broader e‑commerce ecosystem in Poland, Lithuania and Latvia. These services form the operational backbone that ensures products purchased online are efficiently transported from sellers to buyers. While parcel delivery services are an essential element of logistics networks, logistics services more broadly can also include fulfilment, warehousing and distribution services.
The following section highlights the most active players in logistics and delivery services in Poland, Lithuania and Latvia, shedding light on a segment that is integral to the functioning of the entire e‑commerce ecosystem, including online marketplaces.
Poland
Poland’s strategic location in Central Europe and its robust transportation infrastructure make it an attractive hub for logistics operations. A key player in the sector is InPost, a Polish company whose business model focusses on an extensive network of parcel lockers. Additionally, DPD, GLS and DHL are three key players in Poland’s delivery landscape, particularly in the rapidly growing e‑commerce sector. These international companies entered the Polish market around two decades ago and have since built strong networks to support reliable, flexible and cost-effective delivery services. Another important postal and courier operator active in Poland is Poczta Polska, notably through its courier brand Pocztex.225 These companies have established themselves as integral components of Poland’s logistics landscape, supporting both domestic and international deliveries, especially in the growing e‑commerce sector.226
There are some other notable providers, such as UPS, FedEx and TNT, which operate with similar business models, offering comparable services in parcel delivery, freight and supply chain management. These companies have similarly been serving the Polish market for several decades, contributing to building a proper delivery ecosystem.
However, this section will focus on describing the operations of the most prominent players in the Polish logistics and delivery market: InPost, DPD, GLS and DHL.
InPost: Polish company in the parcel locker market
InPost, a Polish company headquartered in Kraków, has been a key player in the parcel locker segment since their introduction in 2009. The company introduced automated parcel lockers to the Polish market, providing customers with the ability to send and receive parcels 24/7.227 This innovation has been instrumental in supporting the rapid growth of online shopping in Poland, enabling online marketplaces and retailers to offer fast, reliable and consumer-friendly delivery options. InPost’s scale has grown significantly in recent years: its APM network expanded from 19 306 units at end-2022 to 21 969 at end‑2023 and 25 269 at end-2024, while parcel volumes rose from 508.4 million in 2022 to 589.5 million in 2023 and 709.2 million in 2024, representing year-on-year growth of approximately 20%.228
InPost’s business model centres on its extensive locker network, complemented by partnerships with major e‑commerce platforms such as Allegro. Its revenue streams primarily derive from locker usage fees and agreements with online retailers to support integrated logistics solutions. This model has delivered strong financial performance, with Polish revenues growing from PLN 5 353.5 million in 2023 to PLN 6 473.7 million in 2024 and adjusted EBITDA increasing from PLN 2 474.7 million to PLN 2 993.6 million over the same period.229 By facilitating efficient last-mile delivery, InPost enhances the operational capabilities of online marketplaces, allowing them to meet consumer expectations for speed, flexibility and reliability. The network also supports sellers, including smaller or independent merchants, by providing a scalable and cost-effective means to reach consumers across Poland, which in turn encourages marketplace participation and competition.
InPost has expanded its services beyond parcel lockers to include home delivery and advanced tracking options, further strengthening the attractiveness of online marketplaces for both consumers and sellers. Its operations contribute to multi-homing behaviours, enabling consumers to order from multiple platforms while maintaining a consistent delivery experience. At the same time, InPost’s network can influence competitive dynamics among marketplaces by acting as a key infrastructural partner whose services are critical to platform performance.
The company has also pursued international expansion, establishing operations in countries such as the United Kingdom and France, highlighting the scalability and strategic significance of its logistics model. In the Polish context, InPost functions as a cornerstone of the e‑commerce ecosystem, linking marketplaces, sellers and consumers, and playing a decisive role in shaping the efficiency, accessibility and competitiveness of the sector.
DPD (Dynamic Parcel Distribution)
DPD is a leading international parcel delivery company, operating in over 50 countries worldwide (including Lithuania and Latvia, see sections below). It is part of Geopost, a subsidiary of La Poste, the French postal service. In Poland, DPD entered the market in 1991. The company has developed an extensive network of depots and service points across the country, offering a range of services including standard parcel delivery, express delivery and international shipping.
DPD’s business model focusses on providing reliable, efficient and flexible delivery options, with a strong emphasis on innovation and customer satisfaction. The company supports parcel tracking, real-time updates, and a variety of delivery options such as home delivery, pick-up points and locker boxes. DPD also offers “DPD Pickup” locations, where customers can drop off or collect their parcels at convenience stores or locker points.230
GLS (General Logistics Systems)
GLS is an international logistics company specialising in parcel delivery, operating across Europe, North America and other regions. The company was founded in 1999 as part of the Royal Mail Group, later becoming an independent entity.
GLS entered the Polish market in 1998, offering a variety of services, including domestic and international parcel delivery, with a focus on reliability and efficiency. GLS has invested significantly in technology, offering online tracking, advanced route planning and real-time notifications. The company also offers value‑added services such as cash-on-delivery, weekend deliveries and delivery to lockers, making it a versatile option for e‑commerce companies and individual customers alike.231
DHL
DHL is one of the world’s leading logistics companies, specialising in international shipping, express delivery and supply chain management. Founded in 1969, DHL operates in over 220 countries and territories worldwide (including Lithuania and Latvia, see sections below), making it one of the most globally recognised logistics providers. DHL entered the Polish market in 1991, establishing itself as a key player in the logistics and delivery industry. Its operations in Poland have grown significantly, and today, it serves a wide range of customers, from individuals to large enterprises.
DHL offers a comprehensive suite of services, including international express shipping, parcel delivery, freight services and supply chain solutions. The company operates a nationwide network of service points, including drop-off locations, parcel lockers and pick-up stations. DHL’s business model is focussed on providing fast, reliable and international delivery solutions, particularly for time‑sensitive shipments.
Lithuania
In Lithuania, there are six main providers of parcel delivery services, which are critical to the operations of e‑commerce businesses in the country:
1. DPD (described above) was responsible for 21.6% of the parcel’s shipments in Q4 of 2025 and had a 22.6% share of the total revenue from parcel delivery in Lithuania.232
2. Lietuvos pastas (“Lithuanian Post”) is the Lithuanian state‑owned postal service. It operates a parcel delivery network called LP Express.233 In Q4 2025, it had a 29.5% share of parcels delivered and a 13.2% share of revenue from parcel delivery in Lithuania.
3. Omniva is operated by the Estonia state‑owned postal service and is present across the whole Baltic region.234 In Q4 2025, Omniva was responsible for 23.3% of parcels delivered, with a 13.9% share of revenue in Lithuania.
4. Venipak is an international express parcel delivery service operating mainly in the Baltic states.235 It delivered 12.6% of parcels and had a 14.5% share of revenue from parcel delivery in Lithuania in Q4 2025.
5. Itella Smartpost is network of parcel lockers operating across the Baltic states and Finland.236 In Lithuania, in Q4 2025, it carried 6.2% of parcels and had a 5.8% share of parcel delivery revenue.
6. DHL (described above) delivered 1.6% of parcels in Lithuania in Q4 2025 but had an 18.4% share of revenue.
As outlined previously, parcel lockers are a particularly popular mode of delivery in Latvia and Lithuania. E‑commerce businesses, including online marketplaces, rely on these services to meet consumers expectations of convenient and fast delivery for their online purchases. Most of the players described above operate extensive parcel locker networks. The table below shows the number of parcel locker machines active in Lithuania in 2025, by provider, as reported by the Communications Regulatory Authority of the Republic of Lithuania.
Source: The Communications Regulatory Authority of the Republic of Lithuania (2025[19]), Periodic reports of the postal sector, https://www.rrt.lt/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Pasto-sektoriaus-atskaita_2025-m.pdf.
Most of the major general online marketplaces and retailers in Lithuania provide delivery options via multiple providers. For example, Pigu uses Smartpost, LP EXPRESS and Omniva parcel lockers. As of November 2024, Pigu has also introduced the capability for sellers to drop their parcels directly to these parcel lockers or the providers’ warehouses, to improve delivery times.237
Given the ongoing expansion of e‑commerce businesses in Lithuania, corresponding growth in the capacity of delivery providers is required in order to support this (and vice versa). While there are many providers of postal services present in Lithuania, constraints on available capacity may emerge if growth in e‑commerce outstrips growth in parcel delivery capacity. This may have an impact on the price and quality of these services, particularly if any capacity is tied up via exclusive partnerships with particular e‑commerce platforms.
Latvia
E‑commerce businesses in Latvia, including online marketplaces, are highly dependent on robust and reliable parcel delivery services. The main providers of these services in Latvia are:
Latvijas Pasts (“Latvia Post”), the Latvia state‑owned postal service.
Omniva, which is run by the Estonia state‑owned postal service and operates across the whole Baltic region.238 Omniva entered the Latvian market in 2014 and was the first provider to launch automated parcel lockers in Latvia.239
Lietuvos pastas (“Lithuanian Post”), the Lithuanian state‑owned postal service which operates a parcel delivery network called LP Express in Latvia.240
Itella Smartpost, a network of parcel lockers operating across the Baltic states and Finland.241
Venipak, an international express parcel delivery service operating across the Baltic region.242
DPD and DHL (described in detail above).
The parcel locker networks operated by these providers have been growing substantially. In 2024, DPD installed 49 new parcel machines in Latvia, with a total network of parcel lockers in the Baltic states of more than 1 100.243 Lithuania Post also operates more than 700 lockers across the Baltic states,244 and Venipak has around 200 parcel lockers in Latvia.245 Latvia Post is also expanding its parcel network in Latvia, from 200 parcel lockers in 2023 to 420 in 2024.246
This points to a highly dynamic and fast-growing market for postal delivery services in Latvia, which has and will continue to evolve alongside the growth and development of e‑commerce in the country.
4.4.2. Comparison-shopping services
As described in Chapter 2, CSS represent a distinct and important segment within the digital ecosystem, referred to as supporting or ancillary service in this report. While CSS enhance the shopping experience by helping consumers compare prices, features and availability across various platforms, they are not integral to the operation of online marketplaces, which rely on their own infrastructure to facilitate transactions. Indeed, unlike online marketplaces, online retailers or OCAS, CSS do not directly facilitate transactions but instead help consumers make informed purchasing decisions by aggregating data from multiple sources.
While CSS and structured marketplaces are distinct platforms serving different segments of the market, they are closely interconnected. CSS platforms primarily function as tools for informed decision‑making, helping consumers compare product prices and features, while online marketplaces offer a comprehensive, integrated shopping experience. Despite their differences, consumers often use both types of platforms in tandem – starting with CSS for research and transitioning to marketplaces for completing transactions. This dynamic highlights the roles of CSS and marketplaces in meeting diverse consumer needs within the e‑commerce ecosystem.
Poland
For the purpose of this market study, this section will map Ceneo, as it plays a central role in the Polish CSS market and was acquired by Allegro and Google Shopping, which is one of the first CSS to be launched in the market and provides a clear definition of the relevant service, as confirmed by the European Commission’s decision on Google Shopping. These players are relevant to our analysis because they contribute to shaping consumer behaviour and drive traffic to e‑commerce platforms, further impacting the dynamics of online marketplaces.
Ceneo
Ceneo, established in 2004 and headquartered in Wrocław, Poland, is the nation’s leading CSS platform. In 2008, the South African media company Naspers acquired Allegro Group, which included both Allegro.pl and Ceneo.pl, for USD 1.5 billion (Mual, 2016[20]). Later, in October 2016, Naspers sold Allegro Group, encompassing Allegro.pl and Ceneo.pl, to private equity firms Cinven, Permira and Mid Europa for USD 3.253 billion (Reuters, 2016[21]). Over the 12‑month period January 2025 to December 2025, Ceneo had 11.62 million monthly unique visitors in Poland.247
Ceneo enables users to search for products and compare prices and features across a wide array of online retailers and merchant platforms.248 The platform is closely integrated with Allegro, facilitating seamless synchronisation of offers and allowing users to navigate directly to merchants’ websites to complete purchases. In some limited cases, Ceneo includes a “buy now” option on its website, allowing users to make direct purchases through the platform.
Renowned for its robust product range and accurate price comparisons, Ceneo has solidified its reputation as a tool for online shoppers in Poland’s e‑commerce market.
Google Shopping
Google’s CSS, also known as Google Shopping, aggregates product offers from online retailers’ websites to enable user comparisons. Initially launched in 2002 as “Froogle” in the United States, it operated as a standalone website monetised by ads without requiring merchants to pay for listings. Froogle expanded to the United Kingdom and Germany in 2004, before being rebranded as “Google Product Search” in 2007 and expanding across Europe with a new dedicated “Product Universal” feature displaying specialised results, images and prices, with links leading to the standalone website.
In 2012, it was renamed “Google Shopping,” shifting to a paid inclusion model where merchants paid per product click. The standalone site and “Shopping Unit” (formerly Product Universal) featured Product Listing Ads (PLAs) linking users directly to merchants’ pages. Google Shopping launched in the EEA in 2013 and in Poland by November 2013.249
In September 2023, Google Shopping was designated as a core platform service under the DMA, reflecting its role as a comparison-shopping service integrated within Google’s wider ecosystem.
Lithuania
CSS are very popular and widely used in Lithuania. There are two major services used by consumers in Lithuania, Kaina24.lt and Kainos.lt.
Kaina24.lt had 1.14 million monthly unique visitors over the 12‑month period January 2025 to December 2025250 and includes 20 million products from more than 1 200 online stores.251 Product pages on Kaina24.lt also display a graph on the evolution of the price of the product over time, including the average price and the minimum price.
Another provider, Kainos.lt, is owned by the Baltic Classifieds Group, the same owner as the online classified ads service Skelbiu. Online stores listed on Kainos.lt pay the platform when users click on their products.252 Over the 12‑month period January 2025 to December 2025, kainos.lt had 0.99 million monthly unique visitors.253
The major players in online marketplaces and online retail in Lithuania (including Pigu, Varle and Senukai), as well as many smaller online stores, are present across both of the CSS described above. Both of these services also provide the ability for users to post reviews directly to their platform.
Notably, Google Shopping is currently not available in Lithuania, as this is a significant CSS available in other parts of Europe, including Poland. As such, Kaina24.lt and Kainos.lt remain critical gateways for e‑commerce in Lithuania, particularly in the context of their popularity amongst Lithuania’s price‑sensitive consumers.
Latvia
CSS platforms are also very popular in Latvia, with two main providers, Salidzini.lv and Kurpirkt.lv. Salidzini.lv had 0.44 million monthly unique visitors in the 12‑month period January 2025 to December 2025, while the other main service Kurpirkt.lv, had 0.43 million monthly unique visitors254 and 12.5 million products listed from 1 200 shops.255
Both of these services have a similar business model – online stores can integrate with their platform via providing an XML file and both platforms sell banner advertising on their websites.256 220.lv (Pigu) and 1a.lv (Senukai) are both present on these comparison shopping services, as well as many smaller online retailers.
Similar to Lithuania, Google Shopping, a major CSS available across other parts of Europe, is not available in Latvia. This means that Salidzini.lv and Kurpirkt.lv are the major providers of these services, and thus a critical gateway, for Latvian consumers.
References
[9] Allegro (2024), Allegro meets Q3 expectations and is readying for the peak season with marketplaces up and running in four CEE countries, https://en.media.allegro.pl/364957-allegro-meets-q3-expectations-and-is-readying-for-the-peak-season-with-marketplaces-up-and-running-in-four-cee-countries.
[8] Allegro (2022), Allegro takes another leap to widen its international presence by finalizing the acquisition of Mall Group and WE|DO, https://en.media.allegro.pl/184019-allegro-takes-another-leap-to-widen-its-international-presence-by-finalizing-the-acquisition-of-mall-group-and-wedo.
[7] Allegro (2022), The new One Fulfillment by Allegro service moves into full swing, making deliveries even faster, https://en.media.allegro.pl/182690-the-new-one-fulfillment-by-allegro-service-moves-into-full-swing-making-deliveries-even-faster.
[5] Dzhelik, E. (2024), “E commerce boosts Polish parcel locker market”, PolandWeekly, https://polandweekly.com/2024/02/08/e-commerce-boosts-polish-parcel-locker-market/.
[14] ECAT (2024), Marketplace Erli – The new force in polish e-commerce. #62, https://ec-at.com/marketplace-erli-the-new-force-in-polish-e-commerce-62/.
[1] Ecommerce Europe (2023), A Decade of Polish E Commerce: 2013 - 2023, https://ecommerce-europe.eu/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/The-e-Chamber-Report-a-Decade-of-Polish-E-commerce.pdf.
[13] Empik (2022), Empik’s manager takes control of the company as a result of a management buyout transaction. Ewa Szmidt-Belcarz buys a majority stake from Penta Investments, https://news.empik.com/201896-empiks-manager-takes-control-of-the-company-as-a-result-of-a-management-buyout-transaction-ewa-szmidt-belcarz-buys-a-majority-stake-from-penta-investments.
[4] EU-Japan Centre for Industrial Cooperation (2022), Overview of Developments in the E Commerce Sector in the Baltics from 2020 to March 2022, https://www.eu-japan.eu/sites/default/files/publications/docs/BalticECommerceReport2022_Final.pdf.
[18] Frost, G. (2024), “What is Vinted and how does it work?”, The Times, https://web.archive.org/web/20250711173703/https:/www.thetimes.com/money-mentor/consumer-rights/what-is-vinted.
[10] Gartenberg, C. (2021), Bezos’ Amazon: from bookstore to backbone of the internet, https://www.theverge.com/2021/2/3/22264551/jeff-bezos-amazon-history-timeline-look-back-company.
[6] Gopinath, S. (2020), “Allegro Raises About $2.3 Billion in Largest-Ever Warsaw IPO”, Bloomberg, https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-09-29/allegro-prices-2-3-billion-warsaw-ipo-at-top-end-of-range.
[3] Luminor (2021), Surprise at the race of e‑commerce: Latvian companies are the frontrunners, https://www.luminor.lt/en/news/surprise-race-e-commerce-latvian-companies-are-frontrunners.
[20] Mual, M. (2016), Naspers sells Polish affairs Allegro, Ceneo for over USD 3 bln, https://thepaypers.com/payments/news/naspers-sells-polish-affairs-allegro-ceneo-for-over-usd-3-bln (accessed on 1 April 2026).
[16] PR Newswire (2025), Temu Expands Marketplace Access for Small Businesses with New App for Shopify Merchants, https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/temu-expands-marketplace-access-for-small-businesses-with-new-app-for-shopify-merchants-302642136.html.
[15] Reuters (2023), Shopee to close its Polish operations on Friday, https://www.reuters.com/business/retail-consumer/shopee-close-its-polish-operations-friday-2023-01-12/.
[21] Reuters (2016), South Africa’s Naspers sells Polish Allegro unit for $3.25 billion, https://www.reuters.com/article/business/finance/south-africa-s-naspers-sells-polish-allegro-unit-for-3-25-billion-idUSL8N1CK3ZA/.
[17] Sierant, M. (2014), Koniec Tablica.pl - polską markę zastępuje OLX, Forbes Polska, https://www.forbes.pl/technologie/koniec-tablicapl-allegro-wprowadza-marke-olx/kyz9lw1.
[19] The Communications Regulatory Authority of the Republic of Lithuania (2025), “Periodic reports of the postal sector”, https://www.rrt.lt/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Pasto-sektoriaus-atskaita_2025-m.pdf.
[2] Vizbarienė, R. (2025), “E. prekyba viršija rekordus: artėjame prie 2 mlrd. Eur ribos (E commerce surpasses records: we are approaching the EUR 2 billion mark)”, Verslo žinios, https://www.vz.lt/prekyba/2025/03/05/e-prekyba-virsija-rekordus-artejame-prie-2-mlrd-eur-ribos-564450.
[11] WBJ (2024), “AliExpress Opens Up to Polish Sellers”, Warsaw Business Journal, https://wbj.pl/aliexpress-opens-up-to-polish-sellers/post/143612.
[12] WBJ (2021), “AliExpress opens a logistics hub in Poland”, Warsaw Business Journal, https://wbj.pl/aliexpress-opens-a-logistics-hub-in-poland/post/132336.
← 1. Includes firms with ten persons employed or more. Includes all activities (except agriculture, forestry and fishing, and mining and quarrying), without financial sector. Eurostat, https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/isoc_ec_evaln2$defaultview/default/table.
← 2. The EU average was 75% in 2015 and 93% in 2025. Eurostat, https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/isoc_ci_ifp_fu$defaultview/default/table.
← 3. E.g., see Number of smartphone users in Lithuania 2020-2029, 12 December 2024, https://www.statista.com/statistics/566148/predicted-number-of-smartphone-users-in-lithuania/ and The ratio of non-cash payments to cash payments in Latvia is 77% to 23%, 30 September 2024, https://cdn.latvijasbanka.lv/en/news-and-events/news-and-articles/news/17049-the-ratio-of-non-cash-payments-to-cash-payments-in-latvia-is-77-to-23.
← 4. E.g., see Poland: Change in e‑commerce transactions during COVID‑19 pandemic 2020 | Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1122161/poland-change-in-e-commerce-transactions-during-covid-19-pandemic/.
← 5. Number of smartphone users in Poland from 2019 to 2029 (https://www.statista.com/statistics/467756/forecast-of-smartphone-users-in-poland/), Number of smartphone users in Lithuania 2020-2029, 12 December 2024, (https://www.statista.com/statistics/566148/predicted-number-of-smartphone-users-in-lithuania/); Number of smartphone users in Latvia 2020-2029, 12 December 2024, (https://www.statista.com/statistics/566144/predicted-number-of-smartphone-users-in-latvia/).
← 6. In Latvia in 2024, 91% of 25‑34 year‑olds had bought something online at least once in the last 12 months (National Statistical System of Latvia (EKI020), https://data.stat.gov.lv/pxweb/en/OSP_PUB/START__IKT__EK__EKI/EKI020/)). In Lithuania in 2024, 92% of 25‑34 year‑olds used e‑commerce for personal purposes in the last year (Statistics Lithuania, https://osp.stat.gov.lt/statistiniu-rodikliu-analize#/).
← 7. See Społeczenstwo informacyjne w Polsce w 2024 r., https://stat.gov.pl/files/gfx/portalinformacyjny/pl/defaultaktualnosci/5497/1/18/1/spoleczenstwo_informacyjne_w_polsce_2024_2.pdf.
← 8. Includes firms with 10 persons employed or more. Includes all activities (except agriculture, forestry and fishing, and mining and quarrying), without financial sector. Eurostat, https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/isoc_ec_esels__custom_15343862/bookmark/table?lang=en&bookmarkId=cfb9f2c0-2c12-4eed-ab10-8ccc033f7d7f.
← 9. Headquartered in Hoofddorp, the Netherlands, PayU is a global online payment service provider operating in over 50 emerging markets, including Poland. It offers a variety of payment solutions, such as credit and debit card processing, bank transfers, and instalment payments. In the e‑commerce sector, PayU acts as a key enabler by facilitating secure and efficient online transactions between consumers and merchants. Its integration with local Polish banks ensures a seamless experience, contributing to the rapid growth of e‑commerce in the region.
← 10. Blik is a Polish mobile payment system headquartered in Warsaw, Poland and it allows users to perform secure online and offline transactions using a six‑digit code generated within their banking app. Blik is deeply embedded in Poland’s banking infrastructure, with most major Polish banks supporting the system. In the e‑commerce sector, it plays a pivotal role in enabling real-time payments for online shopping, contributing significantly to the digital economy’s expansion.
← 11. Arguably more globally recognised than the other two aforementioned services, PayPal is an international digital payment platform headquartered in San Jose, California, United States. It supports various payment methods, including linked credit/debit cards, bank accounts, and a digital wallet. Known for its robust buyer protection policies and global reach, PayPal acts as a trusted intermediary for online transactions. In the e‑commerce sector, it facilitates cross-border trade and provides a secure payment option for consumers and merchants worldwide. Its reputation for reliability and widespread acceptance has made it a preferred choice for international e‑commerce.
← 12. Last-mile delivery refers to the very last step of the delivery process when a parcel is moved from a transportation hub to its final destination.
← 13. Parcel lockers, also referred to as automated parcel machine (APMs), are self-service storage units that use technology to facilitate secure, contactless parcel delivery, pickup, and returns. They are typically used in e‑commerce, logistics, and retail to streamline last-mile delivery by providing a convenient pickup point for consumers. These lockers can be accessed via PIN codes, QR codes, or mobile apps and are often placed in high-traffic locations like shopping centres, residential areas, and transportation hubs.
← 14. Parcel locker firm InPost Q4 volumes rise 20% | Reuters, https://www.reuters.com/business/parcel-locker-firm-inpost-q4-volumes-rise-20-2025-01-07/?.
← 16. Cashless – Allegro w trójce największych sieci automatów paczkowych w Polsce. Liczba wszystkich maszyn przekracza już 66 tys, https://www.cashless.pl/18205-automaty-paczkowe-4-kw-2025.
← 17. ANALYSIS: Lockers (and PUDOs) taking Europe by storm, 15 September 2022, https://www.parcelandpostaltechnologyinternational.com/analysis/lockers-and-pudos-taking-europe-by-storm.html.
← 18. Arvien biežāk iedzīvotāji kā ērtāko pasta sūtījumu piegādes veidu izvēlas pakomātus | SPRK (https://www.sprk.gov.lv/events/arvien-biezak-iedzivotaji-ka-ertako-pasta-sutijumu-piegades-veidu-izvelas-pakomatus), Pērn abonētās preses un vēstuļu sūtījumu skaits Latvijā samazinājies par 14% | SPRK (https://www.sprk.gov.lv/events/pern-abonetas-preses-un-vestulu-sutijumu-skaits-latvija-samazinajies-par-14).
← 19. RRT, Periodic reports of the postal sector, https://www.rrt.lt/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Pasto-sektoriaus-atskaita_2025-m.pdf.
← 20. Poland: Factors discouraging to complete shopping online 2020 | Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1244051/poland-factors-discouraging-to-complete-shopping-online/.
← 21. E‑commerce in Lithuania – statistics & facts, https://www.statista.com/topics/11326/e-commerce-in-lithuania/; and Overview of Developments in the E‑Commerce Sector in the Baltics from 2020 to March 2022, https://www.eu-japan.eu/sites/default/files/publications/docs/BalticECommerceReport2022_Final.pdf.
← 22. Eurostat [isoc_ec_ib20] Internet purchases by individuals (2020 onwards), https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/isoc_ec_ib20/default/table?lang=en&category=isoc.isoc_i.isoc_iec.
← 23. Poland: Allegro among world marketplace platforms 2021 | Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1096305/poland-allegro-among-world-marketplace-platforms/.
← 24. UOKiK, DECISION No. DKK‑69/2022.
← 25. Fees for sellers, price list – Allegro, https://help.allegro.com/en/fees/en.
← 26. Revenue converted from PLN to EUR using the exchange rates for 30 December 2017 and 31 December 2024 respectively.
← 27. E‑commerce firm Allegro plans to add 2 500 parcel lockers in Poland in 2025 | Reuters, https://www.reuters.com/technology/e-commerce-firm-allegro-plans-add-2500-parcel-lockers-poland-2025-2025-03-13/.
← 28. Właściciel Allegro przejął porówywarkę cen Ceneo.pl – Press.pl – najnowsze informacje z branży medialnej, marketingowej, reklamowej i public relations, https://www.press.pl/tresc/7443%2Cwlasciciel-allegro-przejal-porowywarke-cen-ceneo_pl.
← 29. The acquisition was approved by the Polish Competition Authority, with the decision issued on 2 March 2022, under Decision No. DKK‑69/2022.
← 31. Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) is a financial service that allows consumers to purchase goods or services and defer payment over time, often through interest-free instalments. BNPL is commonly used in e‑commerce to enhance affordability and increase purchasing flexibility, typically involving minimal credit checks and quick approval processes.
← 33. Allegro Business is a specialised version of the Allegro platform tailored for business-to-business (B2B) transactions. It offers features such as discounts on large orders, wholesale price lists, VAT rate settings, and payment options through Allegro Business Pay. These tools are designed to facilitate corporate purchasing and sales, providing businesses with efficient solutions for their procurement needs. For more information, see https://help.allegro.com/sell/en/a/get-to-know-allegro-business-4RxW6VoLmTl.
← 35. For a visual overview of Allegro Pay Business, refer to the following video “Allegro Pay Business – Kupuj na fakturę i płać 60 dni później na Allegro Business”, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKKfZHmiH8I.
← 36. Prices converted from PLN to EUR using the exchange rates for 31 December 2024.
← 37. Allegro Smart! – Free delivery to Parcel Lockers, Pick-up Points and by courier throughout the year for a one‑time fee, https://allegro.pl/smart.
← 38. Allegro Smart! – Free delivery to Parcel Lockers, Pick-up Points and by courier throughout the year for a one‑time fee, https://allegro.pl/smart.
← 40. One Fulfillment by Allegro – end-to‑end logistic service for e‑commerce, https://allegro.pl/campaign/fulfillment.
← 42. Allegro sp. z o.o. and InPost sp. z o.o. signed an annex to the Framework Agreement | Allegro, https://about.allegro.eu/news-releases/news-release-details/allegro-sp-z-oo-and-inpost-sp-z-oo-signed-annex-framework.
← 43. “Allegro covers most of the shipping costs of parcels in orders placed with Smart!; for low-value orders, this is over 80% of the shipping costs” (https://help.allegro.com/en/fees/en).
← 45. https://www.fitchratings.com/research/corporate-finance/fitch-upgrades-inpost-to-bb-outlook-stable-21-05-2025.
← 46. This does not imply that Allegro is a smaller operational partner overall: the Smart! programme captures only one channel of Allegro-related volumes/costs, whereas Allegro-linked deliveries can extend beyond Smart! and may be reported differently across sources.
← 47. https://help.allegro.com/sell/en/a/allegro-delivery-we-have-permanently-enabled-the-orlen-paczka-delivery-options-within-the-program-eKdk0bdbPTb.
← 48. In this context, it worth mentioning that Polish unions have reportedly appealed to Poland’s Prime Minister to address the competitive rivalry between Poczta Polska, the Polish Post, and fellow state‑owned company Orlen Paczka. The rapid expansion of Orlen Paczka’s parcel locker network has alarmed Poczta Polska, which considers parcel delivery its domain. This internal competition adds to the challenges Poczta Polska faces from private sector competitors like InPost, DPD, DHL, and Allegro. For more details, see https://trans.info/en/state-owned-parcel-delivery-poland-324057.
← 50. In this context, in its commitment decision in case AT.40 703, the European Commission clarify that Amazon Retail and third-party sellers are often actual or potential competitors at the retail level, for the sale of the same products on the Amazon websites.
← 51. Amazon Prime is a subscription service offered by Amazon that provides members with benefits such as free and expedited shipping, access to streaming content (Prime Video, Prime Music), exclusive shopping deals, and other perks. The specific benefits vary by country and may include additional services like cloud storage and gaming content.
← 53. Fulfilment by Amazon (FBA) is a service offered by Amazon that allows sellers to store their products in Amazon’s fulfilment centres. Amazon handles the storage, packaging, shipping, customer service, and returns for these products. This service enables sellers to leverage Amazon’s extensive logistics network to provide fast and reliable delivery to customers, including access to Prime benefits.
← 55. Amazon Web Services (AWS) is a comprehensive cloud computing platform provided by Amazon, offering a wide range of on-demand services, including computing power, storage, databases, machine learning, and networking. AWS enables businesses and developers to build, deploy, and scale applications without the need for on-premises infrastructure. It operates on a pay-as-you-go pricing model and serves various industries, supporting workloads such as web hosting, big data processing, and artificial intelligence.
← 56. Amazon Kindle is a line of e‑readers and a digital reading platform developed by Amazon. Kindle devices use e‑ink technology for a paper-like reading experience, while the Kindle app allows users to access e‑books, magazines, and audiobooks on various devices. The Kindle ecosystem includes features like adjustable fonts, built-in dictionaries, and cloud synchronisation, making it a popular choice for digital reading.
← 57. Amazon Audible is a subscription-based audiobook and spoken-word entertainment service owned by Amazon. It offers a vast library of audiobooks, podcasts, and exclusive content that users can stream or download for offline listening. Audible operates on a membership model, providing monthly credits that can be exchanged for audiobooks, along with additional benefits like discounts and access to exclusive content. It is available on various devices through the Audible app.
← 58. Whole Foods Market and Amazon Fresh are brick-and-mortar grocery retail chains owned by Amazon. Whole Foods Market operates as a premium supermarket chain specialising in organic and natural products, while Amazon Fresh offers a broader range of conventional groceries, often integrated with Amazon’s online grocery delivery and pickup services.
← 59. The Polish version of the website has been offered also by Amazon.de.
← 60. https://www.aboutamazon.eu/news/job-creation-and-investment/amazon-invests-in-the-development-of-polish-local-economy-digitization-and-sustainability.
← 61. Converted from PLN to EUR using the exchange rates for 31 December 2022.
← 62. Establishing logistics and technology operations in Poland prior to the marketplace launch may have served as a groundwork for supply-chain readiness, local expertise development, and integration into the broader European network. The presence of infrastructure likely reduced entry risks when the marketplace was launched.
← 63. For more information, see https://pay.amazon.com/.
← 64. It is important to note that Amazon Pay is not a credit product – it functions strictly as a payment method, and users are billed according to the payment methods they have on file with Amazon. Transactions are subject to the terms and conditions of Amazon Payments, which includes user consent for transaction processing, data sharing for fraud prevention, and dispute resolution procedures.
← 65. For additional details, see https://www.amazon.com/amazonprime.
← 66. Indeed, Amazon provides various benefits to customers through its Amazon Prime membership programme. This includes free delivery on many items, which can range from standard shipping to more expedited services such as one‑day or two‑day delivery. In addition to delivery benefits, Amazon Prime offers access to Prime Video, a streaming service featuring a variety of movies, TV shows, and exclusive content. Prime members also receive early access to sales events like Prime Day and exclusive discounts on certain products. These offerings create a value‑added proposition that incentivises customers to subscribe to Amazon Prime, supporting customer retention and loyalty.
← 67. Sponsored Products are ads that promote individual product listings on Amazon. These ads appear in search results and product detail pages, helping to drive visibility and sales for specific products. For more details, see https://advertising.amazon.com/.
← 68. Sponsored Brands are ads that allow sellers to showcase a collection of their products and brand logo at the top of search results, designed to increase brand awareness and engagement, https://advertising.amazon.com/.
← 69. For further information on these policies, see https://sellercentral.amazon.pl/help/hub/reference/external/521?ref=efph_521_cont_2&locale=pl-PL.
← 70. Alibaba Group, established on 28 June 1999, in Hangzhou, China, is a multinational company specialising in e‑commerce, cloud computing, digital payments, and entertainment. Founded by Jack Ma and a team of co-founders, the company began as a B2B platform, Alibaba.com, aimed at connecting businesses globally. Over time, it expanded its operations to include consumer marketplaces such as Taobao and Tmall, along with services like Alipay.
← 71. https://www.bankier.pl/wiadomosc/AliExpress-chce-w-najblizszych-latach-zwiekszac-udzial-w-polskim-e-commerce-wywiad-8006678.html.
← 74. https://group.dhl.com/en/media-relations/press-releases/2023/dhl-and-cainiao-join-forces-in-poland.html.
← 75. PDD Holdings is a Chinese multinational conglomerate specialising in e‑commerce and technology. PDD Holdings operates various online platforms, with its most well-known being Pinduoduo, a major social commerce platform in China. It focusses on offering discounted products through group buying, leveraging social media and user interaction to drive sales. Temu, its international arm, was launched to expand its e‑commerce presence outside of China. PDD Holdings is registered in the Cayman Islands but has operations and offices in various global locations.
← 77. Based on data from SimilarWeb for users based in Poland over the 12‑month period January 2025 to December 2025. Monthly unique visitors is the number of distinct individuals visiting the website at least once during the month (regardless of whether they visit the site once or a number of times), summed across desktop and mobile web. Monthly active users is the number of distinct individuals who have used the app in the month across both Android and iOS.
← 79. Empik Go is a mobile application developed by Empik that provides access to a vast selection of e‑books and audiobooks. The app allows users to read and listen to their favourite books on the go, even in offline mode. It operates on an intuitive subscription model and synchronises with the user’s empik.com account, enabling instant access to purchased titles, https://www.empik.com/go.
← 80. Empik Music is a music streaming application developed by Empik, offering users access to a vast catalogue of millions of songs from artists worldwide. The app allows for both online and offline listening, enabling users to enjoy their favourite tracks anytime and anywhere. It features intuitive navigation, personalised playlists, and recommendations curated by Polish music experts and artists. Additionally, Empik Music provides information about concerts, events, and artist meet-and-greets, enhancing the overall music experience. The application is available for download on various platforms, including Android and iOS devices, https://www.empik.com/music.
← 81. Empik Premium is a subscription service offered by Empik that provides members with various benefits, including discounts and free delivery options. Subscribers receive a 15% discount on regular-priced products in Empik’s physical stores, covering categories such as books, music, films, toys, stationery, and creative articles. Additionally, members can enjoy up to a 20% discount on thousands of specially marked products sold by Empik on their online platform, empik.com. The service also includes free delivery for products supplied by Empik and selected EmpikPlace sellers, applicable to all available delivery methods on empik.com, such as delivery to Empik stores, courier services, InPost parcel lockers, and Poczta Polska pickup points, https://www.empik.com/premium.
← 82. Revenue converted from PLN to EUR using the exchange rate for 31 December 2024.
← 83. Erli Annual Report 2024.
← 88. Revenue converted from PLN to EUR using the exchange rate for 31 December 2024.
← 89. Morele 2024 Annual Report.
← 92. ShopeePay is Shopee’s integrated digital payment solution designed to support secure and efficient transactions within the platform. It enables users to make payments for purchases, store funds in a digital wallet, and access various discounts and promotions. The service is intended to simplify transactions and retain users within the Shopee ecosystem, https://shopeepay.com/.
← 93. Fulfilled by Shopee (FBS) is a logistics and fulfilment service provided by Shopee to streamline the storage, packaging, and delivery of sellers’ products. Under this program, sellers store their inventory in Shopee’s designated warehouses, where the platform manages order processing and shipping on their behalf. FBS is designed to improve delivery times and offer a consistent shopping experience for buyers. Sellers benefit from reduced logistical complexities, while Shopee collects service fees for managing these operations. The service aims to enhance operational efficiency and foster trust within the Shopee marketplace, https://seller.shopee.com.my/edu/article/7554.
← 94. https://kr-asia.com/as-shopee-expands-aggressively-around-the-world-will-it-become-the-amazon-of-emerging-economies.
← 97. Fast fashion refers to a business model in the fashion industry that focusses on the rapid production of inexpensive, trend-driven clothing. This model relies on global supply chains, mass production, and lower-cost materials to produce clothing at scale, making fashion more accessible but often raising concerns about environmental impact, labour conditions, and sustainability.
← 98. While initially focussing on apparel, Shein has diversified its offerings to include categories such as home decor and electronics, thereby broadening its revenue streams.
← 101. https://www.library.hbs.edu/working-knowledge/how-shein-and-temu-conquered-fast-fashion-and-forged-a-new-business-model.
← 104. Annual financial information for Pigu, UAB, https://rekvizitai.vz.lt/en/company/pigu/turnover/.
← 105. PHH Group Marketplace, https://phhgroup.eu/marketplace/14.
← 106. See Apie Pigu.lt, https://pigu.lt/lt/t/apie_pigu; and Pigu Hobby Hall Group, https://phhgroup.eu/phh-group/9.
← 107. The turnover of the online store “220.lv” grew by 37% last year; Large‑scale investments planned this year, 16 January 2015, https://www.delfi.lv/bizness/37264250/biznesa_vide/45463074/internetveikala-220lv-apgrozijums-pern-audzis-par-37-sogad-planotas-apjomigas-investicijas.
← 108. MidEuropa Invests in the Leading Baltics E‑Commerce Platform, 31 March 2021, https://mideuropa.com/news/mideuropa-invests-in-the-leading-baltics-e-commerce-platform/.
← 109. PHH Group Marketplace, https://phhgroup.eu/marketplace/14; and First month of Pigu.lt Marketplace in Finland: average basket size 72% higher than in Lithuania, 22 June 2023, https://www.delfi.lt/en/business/first-month-of-pigult-marketplace-in-finland-average-basket-size-72-higher-than-in-lithuania-93732735.
← 110. Pigu.lt Marketplace after 5 years: spectacular growth and trust of customers, https://phhgroup.eu/news/pigu.lt-marketplace-after-5-years-spectacular-growth-and-trust-of-customers/142.
← 111. Fulfillment by Pigu, https://phhgroup.eu/fulfillment-by-pigu/28.
← 112. Pigu.lt Marketplace after 5 years: spectacular growth and trust of customers, https://phhgroup.eu/news/pigu.lt-marketplace-after-5-years-spectacular-growth-and-trust-of-customers/142.
← 113. Atsiimkite užsakymą Pigu terminaluose!, https://pigu.lt/lt/t/pigu-terminalas.
← 114. https://www.omnivagroup.com/news/lt-pigu-lt-lv220-lv-ee-kaup24-ee-and-omniva-launch-strategic-partnership-to-introduce-same-day-delivery/.
← 115. Mūsų parduotuvės, https://pigu.lt/lt/atsiemimo-punktai.
← 116. Advertising platform powered by Martailer, https://martailer.com/pigu/pigu-en/.
← 117. Advertising platform powered by Martailer, https://martailer.com/pigu/pigu-en/.
← 118. Integration with BaseLinker – more business opportunities and convenience for international sellers on PHH Group Marketplace, https://phhgroup.eu/integration-with-baselinker-more-business-opportunities-and-convenience-for-international-sellers-on-phh-group-marketplace/117; and Pigu Hobby Hall Group, https://base.com/en-US/integrations/pigu/.
← 119. Advertising platform powered by Martailer, https://martailer.com/pigu/pigu-en/.
← 120. Pigu klubas, https://pigu.lt/lt/t/pigu-klubas-summary.
← 121. PiguEurai, https://pigu.lt/lt/t/pigueurai.
← 122. Pigu klubas, https://pigu.lt/lt/t/pigu-klubas-summary.
← 123. Currently EUR 600 in at least 3 orders in a 12‑month period.
← 124. PiguEurai, https://pigu.lt/lt/t/pigueurai.
← 125. Depending on the product category, PiguEurai credits can be used to cover up to 20% of the purchase value.
← 126. PiguEurai, https://pigu.lt/lt/t/pigueurai.
← 127. Moki 3, https://pigu.lt/lt/t/moki3.
← 128. PHH Group Marketplace, https://phhgroup.eu/marketplace/14.
← 129. Annual financial information for VARLE, UAB, https://rekvizitai.vz.lt/en/company/varle/turnover/.
← 130. varle.lt marketplace, https://www.varle.lt/marketplace/.
← 131. Pristatymas, https://www.varle.lt/info/pristatymas/.
← 132. E.g. see Kai Reikia Kainos Ir Patarimo, https://www.varle.lt/info/apie-varle/; How Price2Spy helped Varle to make a breakthrough in an extremely competitive market, https://www.price2spy.com/varle.html; Atidaryk Franšizę, https://www.varle.lt/info/atidaryk-fransize/.
← 133. Expand Your Business with Varle.lt Export Services, https://www.varle.lt/info/varlelt-export/.
← 134. Akcija atgaukite atgal, https://www.varle.lt/info/akcija-atgaukite-atgal/.
← 135. Akcija, https://www.varle.lt/info/akcija/.
← 136. Serviso Paslaugos, https://www.varle.lt/info/serviso-paslaugos/.
← 137. Nuomos Paslaugos, https://www.varle.lt/info/nuomos-paslaugos/.
← 138. VARLE istorija, https://www.varle.lt/info/varle-istorija/.
← 139. Join AliExpress, https://sell.aliexpress.com/en/__pc/4DYTFsSkV0.htm.
← 140. AliExpress has the following “Multi-Language Sites”: Russian, Portuguese, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Dutch, Turkish, Japanese, Korean, Thai, Vietnamese, Arabic, Hebrew and Polish, https://sale.aliexpress.com/__pc/download_app_guide.htm.
← 141. AliExpress customers now able to direct orders to Omniva package terminals, 11 May 2022, https://news.err.ee/1608593623/aliexpress-customers-now-able-to-direct-orders-to-omniva-package-terminals.
← 142. It is possible to register as a seller on AliExpress if you are located in China, France, Germany, South Korea, Mexico, Poland, Spain, the United Kingdom, the United States and Brazil. See https://login.aliexpress.com/user/seller/register?bizSegment=GSP&spm=2114.11010108.1000001.4.650c649b3PzfmJ&_locale=en_US.
← 143. See, for example: https://www.temu.com/lt-en.
← 144. See Temu Opens Marketplace for EU sellers, 23 August 2024, https://marketplace-universe.com/temu-opens-marketplace-eusellers/.
← 145. https://jauns.lv/raksts/bizness/678600-temu-atver-tirgu-latvijas-pardevejiem-vietejie-uznemumi-vares-platforma-pardot-savas-preces-visa-eiropa; https://madeinvilnius.lt/en/business/Vilnius-market/temu-pleciasi-lietuvoje/.
← 146. Shopify is an e‑commerce software company that provides online storefront infrastructure and related services (including payment processing, inventory management and order fulfilment tools) to merchants, enabling businesses to create and manage their own direct-to-consumer online stores.
← 147. E.g., see eBay supports Lithuanian small and medium-sized enterprises during the pandemic, 11 June 2020, https://www.15min.lt/en/article/economy/ebay-supports-lithuanian-small-and-medium-sized-enterprises-during-the-pandemic-527-1331726; eBay representatives come to Vilnius to look for sellers of Lithuanian goods, 21 October 2022, https://madeinvilnius.lt/en/business/Vilnius-market/ebay-representatives-come-to-Vilnius-to-look-for-a-seller-of-Lithuanian-goods/.
← 148. amazon.de is available in English, Czech, Dutch, Polish, Turkish and Danish, in addition to German.
← 149. See Free Shipping by Amazon, https://www.amazon.de/-/en/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=GZXW7X6AKTHNUP6H&pop-up=1 and “Marketplace sellers select which countries they want to deliver to” (Restrictions on International Delivery on Marketplace Orders, https://www.amazon.de/-/en/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=GGWUGV3RMNB7JQZZ). This was Introduced at some point after 11 October 2023, as per the Wayback Machine: https://wayback-api.archive.org/web/20230401000000*/https://www.amazon.de/-/en/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=GZXW7X6AKTHNUP6H&pop-up=1).
← 150. Amazon Preferred Shippers Program for EU sellers outside the 5 European stores, https://sellercentral.amazon.fr/help/hub/reference/external/GMMCSMA6PXD8HZYT?locale=nl-NL.
← 151. Consumers can change the language to English, although they need to be logged into the website to do so. See How to change language, currency, and country of delivery on Allegro, https://help.allegro.com/sell/en/a/how-to-change-language-currency-and-country-of-delivery-on-allegro-O3PwMxodWfY.
← 152. See Allegro DHL Courier ― international shipping from Poland to the European Union; https://help.allegro.com/sell/en/a/allegro-dhl-courier-international-shipping-from-poland-to-the-european-union-aMlnqq375UA.
← 153. Prices converted from PLN to EUR using the exchange rates for 31 December 2024.
← 154. “In the case of the following countries: Estonia, Denmark, Finland, Lithuania, Latvia, and Sweden, the parcel delivered with the Allegro DHL Courier – dispatch abroad from Poland delivery option is always delivered to the nearest DHL Parcel partner point.” See Allegro DHL Courier ― international shipping from Poland to the European Union; https://help.allegro.com/sell/en/a/allegro-dhl-courier-international-shipping-from-poland-to-the-european-union-aMlnqq375UA.
← 155. Start selling on Allegro!, https://allegro.pl/help/sell-on-allegro; Join Allegro – sell in Poland and internationally!, https://allegro.pl/articles/international-sellers/join-allegro-sell-in-poland-and-internationally-m0P7a43a8TK.
← 156. Fulfilment by Allegro is now available to everyone. It will also assist sellers in expanding into the Czech market., https://en.media.allegro.pl/265231-fulfillment-by-allegro-is-now-available-to-everyone-it-will-also-assist-sellers-in-expanding-into-the-czech-market.
← 157. Lithuanian customers are directed to Shein’s international website Shein.com, which is available in English, Spanish and Portuguese. The Shein app on the Apple App Store is available in English, Arabic, Bulgarian, Czech, Dutch, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hungarian, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Slovak, Spanish, Swedish, Thai, Traditional Chinese, Turkish and Vietnamese.
← 158. Shein is open to sellers in the US, Brazil, Mexico, China and Spain. See SHEIN Launches Global Integrated Marketplace, 4 May 2023, https://www.sheingroup.com/corporate-news/press-releases/shein-launches-global-integrated-marketplace/ and SHEIN Expands Its Integrated Marketplace to Spain, 2 August 2024, https://www.sheingroup.com/corporate-news/shein-expands-its-integrated-marketplace-to-spain/.
← 159. Lithuanian gaming start-up Eneba gets 6.65 million euros to grow internationally, 24 December 2020, https://emerging-europe.com/business/lithuanian-gaming-marketplace-start-up-eneba-gets-6-65-million-euros-to-grow-internationally/; About Eneba, https://www.eneba.com/about-us.
← 160. LV market surveillance report.
← 161. Pigu first acquired 75% of the company in 2011, before acquiring the remaining 25% share in 2013.
← 162. Online store “220.lv” turnover grew by 37% last year; large investments planned this year, 16 January 2015, https://www.delfi.lv/bizness/37264250/biznesa_vide/45463074/internetveikala-220lv-apgrozijums-pern-audzis-par-37-sogad-planotas-apjomigas-investicijas.
← 163. Pigu Latvia Annual Report 2024.
← 164. Fulfilment by Pigu, https://phhgroup.eu/fulfillment-by-pigu/28.
← 165. Piegāde, https://220.lv/lv/piegade.
← 166. 220.lv veikali, https://220.lv/lv/precu-sanemsana.
← 167. 220.lv klubs, https://220.lv/lv/t/220-klubs-summary; and 220.lv nauda, https://220.lv/lv/t/220nauda.
← 168. Maksāšanas veidu Sadali daļās, https://220.lv/lv/t/slice.
← 169. https://www.baltictimes.com/temu_improves_last-mile_delivery_in_baltic_states_through_strategic_partnership_with_unisend/.
← 170. https://jauns.lv/raksts/bizness/678600-temu-atver-tirgu-latvijas-pardevejiem-vietejie-uznemumi-vares-platforma-pardot-savas-preces-visa-eiropa.
← 171. Introduced at some point after 11 October 2023, as per the Wayback Machine: https://wayback-api.archive.org/web/20230401000000*/https://www.amazon.de/-/en/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=GZXW7X6AKTHNUP6H&pop-up=1.
← 172. Amazon Preferred Shippers Program for EU sellers outside the 5 European stores, https://sellercentral.amazon.fr/help/hub/reference/external/GMMCSMA6PXD8HZYT?locale=nl-NL.
← 173. Delivery to Latvia has a maximum delivery cost of 38.99 PLN (around 9 EUR) and an estimated delivery time of 2‑3 working days. See Allegro DHL Courier ― international shipping from Poland to the European Union; https://help.allegro.com/sell/en/a/allegro-dhl-courier-international-shipping-from-poland-to-the-european-union-aMlnqq375UA.
← 174. See Start selling on Allegro!, https://allegro.pl/help/sell-on-allegro; Join Allegro – sell in Poland and internationally!, https://allegro.pl/articles/international-sellers/join-allegro-sell-in-poland-and-internationally-m0P7a43a8TK; and Fulfilment by Allegro is now available to everyone. It will also assist sellers in expanding into the Czech market, https://en.media.allegro.pl/265231-fulfillment-by-allegro-is-now-available-to-everyone-it-will-also-assist-sellers-in-expanding-into-the-czech-market.
← 175. https://gemius.com/blog/foreign-purchases-used-products-and-blik-payments-the-report-ecommerce-in-poland-2024/.
← 176. Naspers is a global consumer internet group, headquartered in South Africa, it operates in more than 90 countries, focussing on building businesses in the online classifieds, payments, food delivery, and education technology sectors. The company is particularly known for its investments in online platforms, including OLX Group, a global leader in online classified marketplaces. Its portfolio also includes investments in prominent tech companies like Tencent and other innovative platforms worldwide.
← 177. Based on data from SimilarWeb for users based in Poland over the 12‑month period January 2025 to December 2025. Monthly unique visitors is the number of distinct individuals visiting the website at least once during the month (regardless of whether they visit the site once or a number of times), summed across desktop and mobile web.
← 178. For more details about OLX in Poland, please see https://www.olx.pl/.
← 179. The “pay and ship” feature on OLX is an integrated service that facilitates secure transactions and delivery between buyers and sellers on the platform.
← 180. The European Commission recently found that Meta’s technical integration of Facebook Marketplace with its social network constituted an abuse of dominance under EU competition law. In November 2024, the European Commission fined Meta EUR 797.72 million for linking (i.e. trying) Facebook Marketplace to Facebook, giving it a competitive advantage over rivals. The decision also found that Meta imposed unfair trading conditions on online classified ad providers advertising on its platforms, allowing Meta to use their data for the benefit of Facebook Marketplace. Meta has been ordered to cease these practices. For more information, please refer to: https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_24_5801.
← 184. The company that owns Knygos.lt is changing its structure: what are the first results?, 18 September 2024, https://www.vz.lt/prekyba/2024/09/18/knygoslt-valdanti-imone-keicia-struktura-kokie-pirmieji-rezultatai.
← 185. Users can offer books for sale directly, therefore managing packaging and shipping themselves, or deliver books to the knygos.lt warehouse, allowing it to manage the logistics and delivery.
← 186. See bottom of page, https://www.skelbiu.lt/.
← 187. Based on data from SimilarWeb for the 12‑month period January 2025 to December 2025. As SimilarWeb does not have the functionality to filter its data for Lithuanian users only, these estimates were calculated by taking the monthly share of traffic to the website from Lithuania and using this to weight the monthly worldwide visits to the website.
← 188. Dažniausiai užduodami klausimai (Frequently asked questions), https://m.skelbiu.lt/duk.html.
← 189. Dažniausiai užduodami klausimai (Frequently asked questions), https://www.alio.lt/duk.html.
← 190. About Vinted, https://careers.vinted.com/about-vinted.
← 191. LT authority RFI response.
← 192. https://www.linkedin.com/posts/vinted_were-excited-to-share-that-vinted-europe-activity-7381320159896035328-6LKf/.
← 193. For more information, please visit the following website: https://www.andelemandele.lv/.
← 194. Based on data from SimilarWeb from December 2022 to December 2025.
← 195. Sludinājumu portāla “ss.com” pārvaldītājs pērn strādāja ar 12 005 miljonu eiro apgrozījumu, 3 November 2024, https://www.tvnet.lv/8127375/sludinajumu-portala-ss-com-parvalditajs-pern-stradaja-ar-12-005-miljonu-eiro-apgrozijumu.
← 196. Based on data from SimilarWeb from January 2023 and January 2025.
← 197. Reklāmas izvietošana sludinājumu serverī SS.LV, https://www.ss.lv/lv/reklama/.
← 199. The Zalando Partner Program enables brands and retailers to sell their products directly on Zalando’s platform, providing access to over 50 million customers across 25 European markets. Participants maintain control over their assortment, pricing, and brand representation, while benefiting from Zalando’s established e‑commerce infrastructure, including payment processing and customer service. Additionally, partners can opt for services like Zalando Fulfilment Solutions (ZFS) to streamline logistics, https://partner.zalando.com/partnership/partnership-models.
← 200. The Zalando Plus programme is a membership service that provides various benefits to its subscribers. The programme allows customers to access advantages such as free delivery, returns, and faster shipping. Recently, Zalando has expanded the programme by introducing a points-based reward system, where customers can earn points based on their activity and unlock further benefits. This service aims to enhance customer loyalty and incentivise engagement with Zalando’s platform, providing added value to frequent shoppers, https://corporate.zalando.com/en/technology/zalando-evolves-its-plus-programme-reward-customers-loyalty.
← 207. Internetinė parduotuvė, https://www.senukai.lt/kp/internetine-parduotuve/v.
← 208. Smart Net, https://www.senukai.lt/smart_net.
← 209. KLIX FREE 12 ir KLIX FREE 24*, https://www.senukai.lt/kp/klix-free-12-ir-klix-free-24/kc; Sąlygos, https://www.senukai.lt/kp/smart-leasing/135.
← 210. Zalando expands to Lithuania, the Slovak Republic, and Slovenia, 3 June 2021, https://cross-border-magazine.com/zalando-expands-to-lithuania-slovakia-and-slovenia/.
← 211. Ibid.
← 212. Partner Program: Requirements to get started, 19 April 2024, https://partner.zalando.com/university/article/Partner-Program-Requirements-to-get-started.
← 213. Ibid.
← 214. Logistics providers per country, 2 January 2025, https://partner.zalando.com/university/article/logistics-providers-per-country.
← 215. Kesko becomes the largest omnichannel player in the Baltics by acquiring 1A Group, https://www.kesko.fi/en/media/news-and-releases/investor-news/2018/kesko-becomes-the-largest-omnichannel-player-in-the-baltics-by-acquiring-1a-group/.
← 216. Based on data from SimilarWeb for worldwide users over the 12‑month period January 2025 to December 2025. Monthly unique visitors is the number of distinct individuals visiting the website at least once during the month (regardless of whether they visit the site once or a number of times), summed across desktop and mobile web. While this metric cannot be limited to users based in Latvia, websites with a.lv domain generally had around 90% of their total traffic originating from Lithuania.
← 218. Preču piegāde un izsniegšana, https://www.1a.lv/kp/precu-piegade-un-izsniegsana/e.
← 219. Zalando launches in Croatia, Estonia, Latvia and expands Partner Program, 29 July 2021, https://corporate.zalando.com/en/zalando-launches-croatia-estonia-latvia-and-expands-partner-program.
← 220. https://www.delfi.lv/bizness/44467736/tehnologijas/120053701/apvienosies-popularie-tiessaistes-tirgotaji-zalando-un-about-you.
← 221. https://corporate.zalando.com/en/investor-relations/zalando-and-about-you-successfully-complete-transaction.
← 222. Zalando launches in Croatia, Estonia, Latvia and expands Partner Program, 29 July 2021, https://corporate.zalando.com/en/zalando-launches-croatia-estonia-latvia-and-expands-partner-program.
← 223. Partner Program: Requirements to get started, 19 April 2024, https://partner.zalando.com/university/article/Partner-Program-Requirements-to-get-started.
← 224. Logistics providers per country, 2 January 2025, https://partner.zalando.com/university/article/logistics-providers-per-country.
← 228. InPost group press release, https://inpost.eu/sites/default/files/2025-03/InPost FY2024 press release.pdf.,
← 229. Ibid.
← 231. Ibid.
← 232. See The Communications Regulatory Authority of the Republic of Lithuania, Periodic reports of the postal sector, https://www.rrt.lt/istekliai/ataskaitos-ir-apzvalgos/pasto-sektoriaus-periodines-ataskaitos/ for Q4 2025: Pasto-sektoriaus-atskaita_RRT-svetainei-su-izvalgom-1.pdf.
← 233. LP Express to install 300 parcel lockers in Latvia and Estonia, https://www.parcelandpostaltechnologyinternational.com/news/lockers-pudo/lp-express-to-install-300-parcel-lockers-in-latvia-and-estonia.html.
← 234. Omniva shaping the real-time economy, https://e-estonia.com/omniva-shaping-real-time-economy/.
← 236. Why choose Smartpost? https://itella.lt/en/business-customer/about-smartpost/.
← 237. Pigu.lt Marketplace after 5 years: spectacular growth and trust of customers, https://phhgroup.eu/news/pigu.lt-marketplace-after-5-years-spectacular-growth-and-trust-of-customers/142.
← 238. Omniva shaping the real-time economy, https://e-estonia.com/omniva-shaping-real-time-economy/.
← 239. Overview of Developments in the E‑Commerce Sector in the Baltics from 2020 to March 2022, https://www.eu-japan.eu/sites/default/files/publications/docs/BalticECommerceReport2022_Final.pdf.
← 240. LP Express to install 300 parcel lockers in Latvia and Estonia, https://www.parcelandpostaltechnologyinternational.com/news/lockers-pudo/lp-express-to-install-300-parcel-lockers-in-latvia-and-estonia.html.
← 241. Why choose Smartpost? https://itella.lt/en/business-customer/about-smartpost/.
← 243. DPD expands its network of parcel lockers in the Baltics to 1 100 lockers, https://www.dpd.com/ee/en/2024/04/25/dpd-kasvatab-baltikumi-pakiautomaatide-vorgustiku-1100-ni/.
← 244. LP Express to install 300 parcel lockers in Latvia and Estonia, https://www.parcelandpostaltechnologyinternational.com/news/lockers-pudo/lp-express-to-install-300-parcel-lockers-in-latvia-and-estonia.html.
← 245. Based on https://venipak.com/lv/pakomati/.
← 246. Latvia Post unveils plans to expand its parcel locker network, https://postandparcel.info/153794/news/post/latvia-post-unveils-plans-to-expand-its-parcel-locker-network/.
← 247. Based on data from SimilarWeb for users based in Poland over the 12‑month period January 2025 to December 2025 unique visitors is the number of distinct individuals visiting the website at least once during the month (regardless of whether they visit the site once or a number of times), summed across desktop and mobile web.
← 249. European Commission, Case AT.39 740 – Google Search (Shopping), Decision of 27 June 2017, paras. 26‑35, https://ec.europa.eu/competition/antitrust/cases/dec_docs/39740/39740_14996_3.pdf.
← 250. Based on data from SimilarWeb for the 12‑month period January 2025 to December 2025. As SimilarWeb does not have the functionality to filter its data for Lithuanian users only, these estimates were calculated by taking the monthly share of traffic to the website from Lithuania and using this to weight the monthly worldwide visits to the website.
← 251. Reklama portale, https://www.kaina24.lt/reklama/.
← 252. E. parduotuvėms, https://www.kainos.lt/e-parduotuvems.
← 253. Based on data from SimilarWeb for the 12‑month period January 2025 to December 2025. As SimilarWeb does not have the functionality to filter its data for Lithuanian users only, these estimates were calculated by taking the monthly share of traffic to the website from Lithuania and using this to weight the monthly worldwide visits to the website.
← 254. Based on data from SimilarWeb for the 12‑month period January 2025 to December 2025. As SimilarWeb does not have the functionality to filter its data for Latvian users only, these estimates were calculated by taking the monthly share of traffic to the website from Latvia and using this to weight the monthly worldwide visits to the website.
← 255. Par KurPirkt.lv, https://www.kurpirkt.lv/par_kurpirkt.php.
← 256. Reklama, https://www.salidzini.lv/reklama.php; and Reklama, https://www.kurpirkt.lv/reklama.php.