Looking for your next growth market in Europe? It might be time to look east. The Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) region is a dynamic, high-growth frontier for fashion brands, but its fragmented nature can seem complex. Allegro is a generalist marketplace covering categories from fashion to household goods, with unmatched scale in Poland and a growing presence in five other CEE markets. This guide breaks down how to sell on Allegro successfully by connecting with the local consumer and mastering the platform’s tools for growth.
The CEE opportunity: A new frontier for fashion e-commerce
While the overall European online fashion market is growing steadily, CEE stands out as a high-potential region. It has a projected Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 9-10% through 2028, significantly outpacing more mature regions. With Poland leading the charge, the CEE region is a clear opportunity for brands, but success demands a fresh, localised strategy.
Don’t assume your Western European playbook will work here. In CEE, trusted local heroes play a central role. Shoppers want to engage in their own language, with 75% of Polish online buyers preferring domestic websites. Marketplaces are the number one starting point for shoppers, and Allegro is the undisputed leader in Polish e-commerce overall, with 88% brand awareness. While Allegro is not a pure fashion player, its broad reach across categories—from clothing to electronics to home & garden—gives it a dominant role in shaping customer expectations.
Allegro offers a shortcut to this fragmented market. Its scale gives brands immediate access, with its Polish operations crossing €13 billion in Gross Merchandise Value (GMV) in 2023. The group serves 21 million active buyers, and its expansion across CEE has grown the addressable market to ~63 million potential customers.
For a deeper dive into the Allegro customer and platform, watch our latest Add to Basket episode with Aurelia Konopka, Senior Business Sourcing Partner at Allegro.
Understanding the CEE consumer
To win on Allegro, you need to win over the CEE consumer. Success on the marketplace comes down to two things: offering the right products and providing a seamless local experience.
Adapt your assortment
Allegro’s fashion shoppers are pragmatic; they prioritise timeless pieces that offer quality, comfort and a good fit over passing trends. Since fashion is only one part of Allegro’s ecosystem, its generalist nature means shoppers come for everything, which drives daily traffic that fashion brands can tap into. Your assortment strategy should focus on:
Timeless pieces: Think core collections, evergreens, and never-out-of-stock items that deliver lasting value.
Menswear: With a near 50/50 gender split, Allegro is a powerful channel for menswear brands looking to expand their reach.
Inclusive sizing: Plus-size shoppers make up nearly 20% of purchases and tend to spend more, creating a significant opportunity for brands with inclusive ranges.
“Allegro fashion customers are quite pragmatic… they rather lean into the direction of classic, timeless pieces… the gender ratio on Allegro is almost equal.”
Provide localised convenience
Localisation starts with language. For the Allegro Poland marketplace, all offers – from product titles to descriptions – must be presented in Polish (an automatic translation tool is available for sellers). This is a critical step to building trust and relevance.
CEE consumers have some of the highest expectations for convenience in Europe, and it all starts with delivery. Fast, predictable shipping is paramount; a 48-hour delivery time can increase your chance of a sale by 50%. While courier delivery is an option, parcel lockers are the overwhelming favourite across the region, used in 82% of transactions in Poland.
The commitment to convenience extends to checkout. Payment preferences vary sharply across CEE, highlighting the need for local knowledge. While the mobile payment system BLIK dominates in Poland, cash on delivery is still king in many southern CEE countries.
Choosing the right fulfilment model is therefore critical. Brands have the flexibility to ship from their own warehouse, or use a third-party logistics (3PL) partner like ZEOS to meet strict service-level agreements, or use Allegro’s own solution, One Fulfilment.
Take advantage of Allegro’s ecosystem
Successful brands on Allegro leverage the platform’s ecosystem of tools to build visibility, drive loyalty, and maintain a high standard of service. Two of the most important elements for driving profitability are the Allegro Smart! programme and the Sales Quality Score.
Boost visibility and loyalty with Allegro Smart!
Allegro Smart! is the marketplace’s loyalty programme, counting over 8 million highly engaged customers. These members shop more frequently and spend more on the platform.
For sellers, the benefits are significant: offers with the Smart! badge have a 2.5 times higher chance of being sold. Activating the programme requires meeting specific quality standards and offering preferred delivery options, but the return on investment is substantial.
Optimise your Sales Quality Score
Allegro uses a comprehensive Sales Quality Score to evaluate merchants based on multiple key metrics, ensuring a consistently high-quality experience for buyers. This score directly impacts your visibility and success on the platform. Key areas of evaluation include order fulfilment, customer service, the accuracy of product descriptions, and return handling. For example, the dispatch time metric is crucial: for every 1% you achieve above a 90% on-time dispatch rate, you receive points, but for every 1% below, points are deducted. Maintaining a high score is essential for long-term growth.
Your path to success in CEE
The CEE region offers a significant growth path for fashion brands, but success hinges on a localised approach. Winning on Allegro means adapting your assortment, meeting demanding convenience expectations, and delivering a flawless customer experience in each market.
While Allegro is a powerhouse in Poland, it is also live in other CEE countries, giving brands access to a much wider consumer base across categories. It remains the region’s most versatile generalist marketplace, making it a strategic entry point alongside fashion-focused platforms like Zalando or ABOUT YOU.
A strategic partner like ZEOS can help you navigate the challenges of regional marketplaces, meet strict delivery SLAs, and manage your entire multi-channel business from a single, unified stock pool.
