E-Consumers and Local Food Products: A Perspective for Developing Online Shopping for Local Goods in Poland

Abstract

The constant development of consumer awareness regarding sustainable development has spread to food markets. Decisions related to food consumption are increasingly becoming, for consumers, an opportunity to demonstrate a specific value system, contesting mass and globally distributed food. Local products began to appreciate local produce, which is the opposite of mass production. Local food is gaining popularity, being perceived as healthier, unprocessed, and containing fewer preservative compounds, while also requiring fewer natural resources, leading to a lower environmental footprint. The phenomenon of shopping virtualization has also been growing in strength lately, especially among food consumers. Although Polish food e-commerce is still relatively undeveloped, online food sales have been the fastest growing category of Internet sales. According to experts, by 2026, nearly 40% of all products globally will be sold online. The main purpose of this article was to identify the behavior of Polish consumers shopping online for local food products and to identify barriers to purchase. Our findings were then used to determine development opportunities for this form of trade in relation to local food in the light of new legislative solutions currently in force in Poland. As part of the research procedure, an extensive literature review was carried out. In addition, some of the research findings were cited regarding consumer behavior in the local food market, conducted on a population of 1067 respondents. The study showed that Polish e-consumers of local products are usually aged 30–40, well-educated, and are in a good financial situation. Respondents pointed to high prices as the main barrier to buying local products via the Internet, a drawback which may be remedied to some extent by the recently adopted legislative solutions falling under the scope of what is termed in Poland as agricultural retail trade as well as by the promotion of short supply chains such as the Polska Smakuje initiative.