Internet traders running up debt

The number of ecommerce retailers with arrears has increased by almost a quarter within half a year from 2,724 to 3,364. The figures include only debts of at least 30 days over PLN 500. The highest debts were recorded in the provinces of Masovia, Silesia and Wielkopolskie. They are followed by companies from, Lower Silesia, Małopolskie and Łódź province. Debtors are registered with Biuro Informacja Kredytowa mainly by banks with unpaid loans accounting for PLN 97.7 mln. The average debt is PLN 37,475. Podlasie is the region with the highest average at PLN 49,109 per debtor. “E-stores are investing in development but it sometimes happens that they have problems with their financial obligations. As a result the number of suppliers to the e-commerce sector that have received payment on time is growing,” says Sławomir Grzelczak, the CEO of the InfoMonitor Economic Information Bureau. The growing debt does not mean that the entire e-commerce industry is in trouble. According to Bisnode Polska, the financial standing of internet and mail order businesses is better than a year ago due to the economic boom and also the Sunday trading ban, which is resulting in changing consumer habits. In Poland 79,300 companies are registered as internet retailers.