Amazon’s investment in Poland amounts to more than €1.6 million (PLN 7 million) daily into the local economy, spanning job creation, innovative technologies, logistics, and support for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). And the consultancy Keystone estimates that, since 2012, our initiatives have contributed over €7 billion (PLN 31 billion) to Poland’s GDP.
In 2024, Amazon celebrates a decade of operations in Poland, whose significance on the global economic map continues to grow thanks to investments and human capital. We recognised this potential by acquiring the Polish startup IVONA Software – whose technology became an important part of Alexa – and creating our first Technology Development Centre, which began operations in Gdańsk in 2014. Since then, we have invested almost €7 billion (PLN 30 billion) in Poland and created approximately 70,000 direct and indirect jobs, making us the largest American employer in the country [1]. According to Keystone, our investments in Poland from 2012-2023 have generated a total of over PLN 19 billion in wages.
“Amazon started its journey in Poland with a vision for long-term growth,” said Russell Grandinetti, Senior Vice President of International Stores, who visited Warsaw to celebrate Amazon’s 10th anniversary in Poland. “It all began in the Tri-City, where Alexa was born, establishing Poland as a key hub for Amazon’s technological innovation. Today, we continue to recognise and nurture this potential by placing further investments here.”
Amazon will continue to invest in projects across key areas of our operations in Poland, including job creation and support for Polish entrepreneurs looking to scale their businesses on Amazon.pl, enabling them to reach hundreds of millions of customers worldwide. Future plans also include new initiatives supporting local communities and sustainable development.
We are also planning further investments in expanding laboratories and teams in Ring AI and Data Science, responsible for the global development of motion detection technology and innovative solutions supporting home security.
A sustainable future
In 2025, we will announce the first Polish project under the global Right Now Climate Fund (RNCF), our fund that supports local projects that leverage nature-based solutions to mitigate climate change effects, boost biodiversity, and introduce green spaces into urban environments.
We plan to allocate approximately €875,000 (PLN 3.8 million) towards an initiative aimed at restoring and protecting natural ecosystems.
“Nature-based solutions offer a crucial area where companies can drive large-scale impact,” said Sławomir Płonka, Director of Amazon Operations, CEE. “We plan to invest in a conservation project in Poland that will not only restore and protect natural ecosystems but also provide lasting benefits to local communities.”
Additionally, under the Community Fund, we will allocate approximately €250,000 (PLN 1.1 million) to improve access to high-quality education, especially STEM programmes. The fund will operate similarly to a participatory budget, where non-governmental organisations can apply for funding through a dedicated website. We will collaborate with a chosen partner to support impactful projects focused on children’s education.
“As we’ve grown our business in Poland, we have become an integral part of Polish society, and we’re proud of that,” said Katarzyna Ciechanowska-Ciosk, Country Leader, Amazon.pl. “We support local digital transformation and education, champion sustainable development, and contribute to Polish non-profit organisations. Poland remains a strategic location for Amazon’s expansion in Europe, and we are committed to continuing our investments here in the years ahead. This includes expanding our logistics network and Amazon Prime, which—alongside free and fast shipping of millions of products from Amazon.pl—features Prime Video, with additional Polish film productions in the pipeline. We’ll keep working to broaden our product and service offerings and to make them even more accessible.”
Investments fueling the job market
Keystone estimates that since 2012, each PLN invested by Amazon in Poland has generated approximately PLN 1.01 in added GDP value. This impact includes expenditures on logistics network expansion and job creation. At the newly opened fulfilment centre (FC) in Gorzyczki, we will create over 1,000 positions. Additionally, during the upcoming holiday season, we plan to hire approximately 10,000 seasonal workers across our logistics network in Poland. New team members joining Amazon can expect competitive compensation with hourly wages for entry-level roles starting at €7.80 (PLN 33.92) gross as of last month, including an attendance bonus—a 13.5% increase from last year.
We continue to recruit employees across our network of 11 state-of-the-art FCs, the backbone of our e-commerce operations, as well as in corporate offices, AWS divisions, and ADCP locations, where technologies supporting every facet of our business are created.
AI for the best customer experience
Technological investments are fueling the growth of e-commerce in Poland. Artificial intelligence (AI) plays a significant role in shaping positive shopping experiences, as well as competitive prices and a broad selection of products—which are seen as key drivers behind the rising popularity of marketplace services in Poland[2]. Much of this growth is thanks to entrepreneurs who choose to reach new customers through e-commerce, and third-party sellers now account for over 60% of our global sales.
Polish SMEs are eagerly seizing export opportunities, with 90% of Polish entrepreneurs on Amazon leveraging e-commerce for international sales. In 2024, we introduced an accelerator programme for Polish entrepreneurs, which we plan to continue in the coming years to support new sellers launching on Amazon.pl. As an incentive, we offer six months with no subscription or commission fees upon starting sales, along with discounts of up to 50% on our Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) service. To further support Polish SMEs, we’ve launched the Polish Brands (Polskie Marki) store, giving Amazon.pl customers easier access to products from Polish producers and sellers.
The art of innovation
Innovation at Amazon is powered by the advanced technologies developed and implemented by Amazon Development Centre locations and AWS; including data utilisation, computational power, and the cultivation of tech skills. Amazon Development Centre Poland (ADCP) supports this mission by employing hundreds of engineers across Gdańsk, Warsaw, and Kraków, establishing Amazon as a global leader in voice AI. Meanwhile, Amazon Web Services (AWS) provides cloud solutions that help clients reduce costs, enhance security, accelerate innovation, and decrease carbon footprints by up to 99%.
Lucyna Chwastowska, Global Director AGI text-to-speech, Amazon Development Centre Poland, said: “Innovation is part of our DNA. We educate and employ people who have helped us lead in numerous fields of AI for years. For over 25 years, we’ve used machine learning and AI, always exploring new applications. Ten years ago, Alexa was developed in Poland alongside technologies like AWS Database Migration, Ring, Kindle, and Polly. Today, millions of people worldwide benefit from the contributions of Poles. I believe that diverse perspectives, experiences, and skills are essential to building versatile technological solutions. Multidimensional viewpoints—free from stereotypes—are what drives true innovation.”
The continued development of innovative solutions, especially in light of Poland’s upcoming presidency of the EU Council in 2025, will support the country’s strategic efforts to achieve lasting economic growth. Strengthening Poland’s position as a regional leader in innovation will be made possible by delivering groundbreaking solutions that serve customers, businesses, and society.
[1] American Companies in Poland, American Chamber of Commerce in Poland, June 2023
[2] “E-commerce in Poland 2024”, Gemius, September 2024
