[Atlas] Poland : The major groups expand

In addition, the average age of the parc continues to grow and is now over 12 years old. It is a playground for independent distributors and garages, who account for between 80% and 90% of the market. GiPA’s Polish office tells us that “owners of older cars prefer to carry out maintenance and even mechanical repairs themselves”. A high proportion of DIY motorists is of interest to parts distributors for over the counter or online sales.

Poland remains a land of potential for the major groups. Already present in the country through Inter-Team and Elit PL, the European leader LKQ Europe has just opened its Innovation & Service Center in Katowice, dedicated to the development of digital solutions.

Groupauto Polska (GPC-AAG) is also taking some steps with Handlopex joining this year. They are a tyre distribution network with sixteen branches and €180 million in turnover. SZiK in Rzeszów, a major regional distributor of spare parts with 25 sites and €15 million in turnover has also joined.

But the local leader remains Inter Cars, with its eleven warehouses, 265 branches in Poland and €1.6 billion in turnover in the first eight months of 2021.