Allegro, the major online marketplace from Poland, is ready to expand internationally. This is what CEO Francois Nuyts says, in a time of rumors about Amazon planning to enter Poland. Allegro could be considered the Amazon of Poland. The marketplace has over 12.3 million active buyers and is used by around 117,000 merchants. It is the number one destination for Polish consumers looking to buy something online.
Amazon in Poland
There are reports claiming that Amazon could launch a Polish service within the coming weeks. However, Allegro does not seem so afraid of Amazon’s possible arrival in Poland. “There are many things we believe we do quite well, if not better, than any competitors”, Francois Nuyts said in an interview with AFP.
Allegro will list on the Warsaw Stock Exchange this Monday. The IPO will value the e-commerce company at around €9.4 billion. The company plans to raise around €217 million and will use the proceeds to repay debt.
Plans for warehouses
Currently, Allegro has one mid-sizes warehouse, but plans are to open a larger one along with four smaller warehouses. This does not seem like much, but Francois Nuyts explains how over 90% of products sold on Allegro never go through one of its warehouses. The products just move directly from seller to buyer.
Expanding abroad
When asked about a possible expansion of Allegro, Francois Nuyts says that they would love to go abroad. “It would be a shame if we did not find a way to have more customers and sellers internationally.” Currently, Allegro already exports, mostly catering for large Polish diasporas in countries such as the United Kingdom.
The CEO thinks that the European Union and national governments should help ensure a level playing field with competitors, such as China. Francois Nuyts has the idea that the rules are not the same, thereby referring to shipping rates being subsidized by the Chinese government and VAT avoidance.