E-commerce expansion into a foreign market

About the industry

E-commerce expansion into foreign markets

Taking a Polish e-commerce brand abroad — especially into the large, mature German market — is one of the most difficult yet most growth-oriented undertakings in online retail. A model proven in Poland does not transfer automatically: the language, currency, shopping behaviors, service expectations, and level of competition are all different.

The German market is bigger and more demanding — customers expect local communication, local payment methods, and a credible brand presence. Effective expansion means transferring what worked in Poland while simultaneously adapting campaigns to the specifics of the new market — step by step, with profitability under control.

Online marketing challenges

• The need to adapt language, currency, and communication to the new market
• Higher and more mature competition in the German market
• Different shopping behaviors and customer expectations than in Poland
• Building brand recognition from scratch in a new market
• A separate account structure and a local product feed to maintain
• Gradually scaling the budget without losing profitability in the entry phase

Market context

• The growing share of Polish e-commerce brands in cross-border sales
• The German market as a natural, large expansion destination for Polish companies
• The increasing role of offer localization and brand presence in purchase decisions abroad

We present market context descriptively, based on well-established industry trends — without quoting unverified figures.

About the client

An e-commerce brand that, after succeeding in the Polish market, we guided through expansion into the German market. We transferred the campaign model proven in Poland and adapted it to the new market.

The challenge

Solutions we implemented

• Replicating the success of the Polish market abroad
• Entering the German market with profitable sales
• Building a stable presence in the export market

Execution

How we did it

1. 1

   Replicating a proven model

   We transferred the campaign model proven in the Polish market to the foreign market, adapting language, currency, and the specifics of local search.

2. 2

   Migration to ICBM Polska CSS

   We based the Shopping campaigns in each market on ICBM Polska CSS (Comparison Shopping Service). As a result, Shopping ads are served at a lower effective cost per click, which directly improves sales profitability.

3. 3

   Conversion measurement in Campaign Manager 360

   We implemented Campaign Manager 360 with Floodlight tags, ensuring precise conversion measurement independent of any single platform — consistent across both markets. This is the foundation of reliable data on which we base every optimization decision.

4. 4

   Campaign management in Search Ads 360

   We run and optimize campaigns in both markets through Search Ads 360 — a platform that lets us manage budgets and bid strategies at scale and respond to performance changes faster than in the standard interface.

5. 5

   Local account structure and feed

   We prepared a separate account structure and a local product feed for the export market.

6. 6

   Optimizing for the local user

   We adapted bid strategies and ad messaging to the shopping behaviors of the new market.

7. 7

   Scaling the expansion

   We increased the budget gradually, in step with building brand recognition abroad.

Results

Measurable outcomes

Data from the client's Google Ads accounts (PL and DE markets). Relative values and ROAS multiples only.