„We now have no doubt that in 2025, online product sales will reach half the value of traditional retail sales. The pandemic certainly contributed to accelerating the growth of the e-commerce sector, but it was not the direct cause, merely a catalyst” – believes Rafał Brzoska, head of InPost. According to Brzoska, the growth of the e-commerce sector in 2020-2021 is not just an incident or a trend that will pass with the end of the pandemic. In his opinion, we are dealing with a lasting change in consumer habits. „Just a year and a half ago, many businesses paid no attention to e-commerce, and now it is the main focus of strategy building for those same companies” – Brzoska said during the Impact webinar. Consequently, the value of the online sales market will grow rapidly in the coming years. By 2025, the value of products sold online is expected to reach half the value of traditional, physical retail sales. The Value of a Built Brand However, as the founder of InPost warned during the webinar, although the development of online trade has recently become a necessity, simply entering this market does not guarantee success. Retail sales are a difficult art, and achieving the desired results requires knowledge and skills. However, those players who have managed to build a strong brand in physical retail have a market advantage. „The advantage of traditional retailers entering the e-commerce market compared to those who start building their business directly online is that they usually already have a recognizable brand built. This is an asset whose significant value not everyone realizes” – Brzoska said. „Having a recognizable brand also facilitates building your own separate sales channel online and avoiding the need for promotion through existing platforms dedicated to online product sales. This, in turn, also leads to cost reduction” – he added. The Importance of the Mobile Device Sector According to the entrepreneur, such platforms are, however, a valuable proposition and offer promotional opportunities primarily to niche players who have not yet managed to build recognition among customers. However, regardless of the chosen path to enter the online market, Brzoska believes that sellers should remember to develop sales oriented towards mobile device users, which are an increasingly important element of online trade. „One of the things to remember when developing sales via online platforms is to prepare a high-quality offer targeted at mobile device users. Today in Great Britain, sales using such devices account for up to 75% of the total value of online sales. Therefore, the development of this channel cannot be neglected” – said Rafał Brzoska. People Value Their Time – That's Why They Will Turn to E-commerce According to Rafał Brzoska, customers increasingly choose to buy a wider range of products online due to, among other things, the time savings associated with this form of shopping. „Societies are increasingly aware of the value of their free time. After all, you can buy everything except health and time. Meanwhile, online shopping leads to savings not only of time but often also of money” – Rafał Brzoska said during the webinar. „So we are dealing with a snowball effect here that cannot be stopped. Wealthier societies will increasingly shift towards e-commerce” – he added.