Andrzej Rzym, Country Manager, Poland at Coolshop
What are Coolshop's development plans for Poland? Do they include investing in warehouses in Poland?
Coolshop's development strategy in all European markets is based on using the scale effect in B2C operations. In recent years, we have almost doubled the storage space in our central warehouse in Denmark. In none of the markets where we are present do we create a local infrastructure for servicing the end customer. Instead, we try to optimize the order delivery process as much as possible so that the recipient receives the order in a similar time as if he ordered it in a Polish store.
What investments does the company intend to make in the first year of operation? What amounts are being considered, what will they be spent on?
The company is constantly investing in logistics infrastructure, IT and human resources. In the financial year 2022/23 and 2024, we allocated several dozen million zlotys to expand the logistics base, as well as to purchase modern equipment enabling efficient packaging and packing of orders. On the Danish market, we are a co-owner of Homerunner, a company that makes last-mile deliveries to the end customer, which locally allows us to deliver on the same day or on non-working days. In relation to the Polish market, current investments are primarily the development of the store's IT infrastructure.
The Polish market is dominated by marktplaces. How does Coolshop intend to fight for its position?
Coolshop is primarily about nearly 45 thousand products available immediately in our central warehouse. Research shows that customers appreciate fast delivery of ordered products – the fact that we can send each of them the same day is certainly an added value for the recipient. Over 30 percent of our assortment are products unavailable in other online stores. Polish consumers are becoming more and more demanding and in our opinion will certainly appreciate the possibility of buying Scandinavian brands in Coolshop, unavailable from the competition.
In Poland, price is king. What pricing strategy does Coolshop intend to adopt as a new player?
Price is of course an important element of the marketing mix, which has a great impact on the consumer's decision-making, however, in developed markets – which Poland belongs to – the richness of the assortment, the transparency of the offer and the credibility of the store are becoming increasingly important. The Coolshop team, operating on 9 important European markets, has developed a strategy that allows for the optimization of sales results. Our offer includes many thematic campaigns throughout the year, such as Beauty Days, LEGO Days, Black Friday or Back to School, during which we offer customers very attractive products at good prices.
What market share after one year and after two years will be a determinant of success?
Building a presence on the e-commerce market is a long-term task. It is estimated that the process of building consumer awareness of a new store brand on the market takes at least 4-5 years. During this time, Coolshop plans to invest in both PR and marketing activities as well as in the development and attractiveness of the store's offer. In my opinion, it is too early to talk about exact numbers in relation to our sales plans. Certainly, every customer is very important to us and we will do everything to acquire as many of them as possible.
