Glosel

What Glosel does

Glosel sp. z o.o. sp. k. is a privately held Polish e-commerce operator founded in 2006 by Agnieszka Stankiewicz-Kierus and Łukasz Kierus, headquartered in Białystok with a secondary office in Warsaw. The company runs two distinct consumer-facing online storefronts: TaniaKsiazka.pl, a long-standing online bookstore offering roughly 400,000 SKUs across books, games, toys, electronics, and stationery, and Bee.pl, launched in 2018 as an FMCG / e-grocery platform focused on eco-friendly food, natural cosmetics, and children's toys. Distribution is omnichannel, combining the two e-commerce sites with 23 pickup points across Poland, physical bookstores, and an automated logistics center at Panattoni Park in Białystok that ships 1,000+ orders daily. Underlying technology is a standard e-commerce platform with automated warehouse management systems; no proprietary AI/ML, patented technology, or public API is disclosed.

The business model is direct-to-consumer retail monetized through transaction-based product sales on both platforms, with variable SKU-level pricing and no publicly disclosed subscription, marketplace fee, or SaaS revenue stream. Customer segments are horizontal: Polish book readers and culture enthusiasts (primary, served by TaniaKsiazka.pl) and eco/health-conscious consumers (secondary, served by Bee.pl). The company has no external institutional investors, no parent entity, and no public listing — ownership remains concentrated with the founding couple. Glosel has been recognized by Forbes Diamonds 2023 (98th in Poland, 4th in Podlaskie voivodeship among large companies), Puls Biznesu Gazele Biznesu (2019, 2021, 2022), and was named the most liked e-commerce brand among Polish consumers by SentiOne in 2021 and 2022.

Name

Glosel

Legal name

Glosel sp. z o.o. sp. k.

Website

https://glosel.pl

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Glosel is a privately held Polish e-commerce operator running TaniaKsiazka.pl (online bookstore with ~400,000 SKUs) and Bee.pl (eco/FMCG e-grocery), serving individual Polish consumers through its own storefronts, 23 pickup points, and an automated logistics center in Białystok.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Online Retail (E-commerce)

NAICS

Book Retailers and News Dealers (45921), Other Specialty Food Retailers (44529), Sporting Goods, Hobby, Musical Instrument, Book, and Miscellaneous Retailers (459)

SIC

Retail-Nonstore Retailers (5960), Retail-Hobby, Toy & Game Shops (5945)

akta.pro primary industry

Specialty Retail Omnichannel (Books, Office, Toys, Hobby) (CRAFAEAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Online Specialty Grocery (Organic/Health/Ethnic/Gourmet) (CRAHAIAE), Toy & Game E-commerce Specialists (CRALAFAL)

Keywords

• Online bookstore retail
• E-commerce operations
• FMCG online retail
• Warehouse logistics services
• Consumer products retail

Headquarters

HQ city

Białystok

HQ country

Poland

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Product Sales - Books and Media: Retail sale of books, games, toys, electronic products, and stationery through TaniaKsiazka.pl e-commerce platform. Transaction-based revenue from individual customer purchases.
2. Product Sales - FMCG/Eco Products: Retail sale of eco-friendly, healthy food products, cosmetics, and children's toys through Bee.pl. Transaction-based revenue model.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Glosel operates two consumer-facing e-commerce platforms in Poland: TaniaKsiazka.pl, an online bookstore offering approximately 400,000 products (books, games, toys, electronic products, and stationery), and Bee.pl, an FMCG e-commerce platform specializing in eco-friendly food products, natural cosmetics, and children's toys. The company combines online retail with a physical bookstore and pickup point network across Poland, fulfilling orders through an automated logistics center.

Product overview

Glosel operates two distinct e-commerce platforms: TaniaKsiazka.pl (online bookstore established in 2006, offering approximately 400,000 products including books, games, toys, electronic products, and stationery) and Bee.pl (FMCG e-commerce platform specializing in ecological and health-promoting products, natural cosmetics, and children's toys). Both operate as separate online retail platforms under the Glosel umbrella company.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• TaniaKsiazka.pl One of the most recognizable online bookstores in Poland, operating since 2006. Offers approximately 400,000 products including books, games, toys, electronic products, and stationery, targeting individual Polish consumers.
• Bee.pl A rapidly developing e-commerce platform specializing in FMCG products, offering thousands of ecological and health-promoting food products, over a thousand natural cosmetics, and children's toys, targeting eco-conscious Polish consumers.

Quantifiable outcome

• 3rd place in spontaneous awareness among multimedia retailers in Poland (Gemius 2021)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Świetlik (Wydawnictwo Kobiece)coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Publisher partner for 'Szkoła Czytelników' competition. Provides books for prizes and supports literacy promotion initiatives.
• Young (Wydawnictwo Kobiece)coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Publisher partner for reading competitions and literacy promotion initiatives.
• Nasza KsięgarniaminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Publisher partner supporting literacy promotion and reading competitions.
• Wydawnictwo Naukowe PWNminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Publisher partner supporting educational and literacy initiatives.
• Copernicus Center PressminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Publisher partner for reading promotion competitions.
• DemartminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Publisher partner for literacy and reading promotion initiatives.
• Aneta Korycińska ('Baba od polskiego')coreOthers · 1 January 2025Ambassador of literacy promotion. Polish language teacher and reading popularizer, IBBY literacy award laureate.
• Fundacja Powszechnego CzytaniacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Main partner of 'Szkoła Czytelników' competition through their 'Ratownicy Czytelnictwa' program. Supports literacy promotion initiatives and reading culture development in Poland.
• Przemek StarońcoreOthers · 1 January 2024Ambassador of 'Szkoła Czytelników' competition. Psychologist, educator, cultural studies scholar, and 2018 Teacher of the Year. Inspires youth through literature.
• LubimyCzytac.plminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2024Media patron for 'Szkoła Czytelników' competition and supporter of Plebiscyt Książka Roku.
• portaloswiatowy.plminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2024Media patron for literacy promotion competitions.
• Wydawnictwo Kobiece Sp. z o.o.coreOthersRelated party transaction partner. Purchases goods, e-book services, rental services, domain lease. Provides marketing, accounting, controlling, analytical, graphic, and financial services.
• Przedsiębiorstwo Handlowe Cud s.c.minorOthersRelated party for goods sales transactions.
• Treemedia Sp. z o.o.minorOthersRelated party for rental services transactions.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Amazon.pl: Amazon's Polish marketplace launched in 2021, expanding aggressively across all retail categories. Competes with Glosel for books, electronics, toys, and household goods with substantially greater scale and capital.
• Carrefour Polska: Major Polish grocery retailer with e-commerce operations. Competes with Bee.pl in online grocery through both scheduled delivery and pickup, with significantly larger assortment and brand recognition.
• Allegro: Poland's largest e-commerce marketplace and dominant online shopping platform. While not a direct bookstore competitor, Allegro competes for the same cross-category consumer wallet and traffic in toys, electronics, and household goods.

Direct peers

• Frisco.pl: Leading Polish online grocery retailer offering home delivery of groceries and household goods. Directly competes with Bee.pl in the Polish e-grocery category, though with broader conventional supermarket positioning versus Bee.pl's eco/healthy specialty focus.
• Księgarnia PWN: Polish academic and educational bookstore associated with Wydawnictwo Naukowe PWN. Direct competitor in the niche of educational, academic, and specialist books, overlapping with TaniaKsiazka.pl's book assortment.
• Empik: Poland's largest omnichannel bookstore and entertainment retailer, operating both online and physical stores. Directly competes with TaniaKsiazka.pl in books, music, games, and toys, and is a natural head-to-head competitor for Polish book consumers.
• Świat Książki: One of Poland's traditional bookstore chains transitioning to omnichannel retail. Directly competes with TaniaKsiazka.pl in the Polish book retail market, offering both online and physical bookstore presence.

Emerging players

• Lisek.pl: Polish e-grocery delivery startup focused on rapid delivery of convenience and grocery items. Competes with Bee.pl in the e-grocery segment, particularly in urban markets, with a focus on speed and convenience.

Regional players

• Bonprix: European omnichannel apparel retailer operating in Poland. While not a direct category competitor, it represents a comparable mid-sized European omnichannel retailer using e-commerce plus physical/click-and-collect points for last-mile delivery.

Others

• Ceneo: Leading Polish price comparison and product review platform. While not a direct competitor, Glosel relies on Ceneo traffic and rankings (where TaniaKsiazka.pl ranks #2 in multimedia) for customer acquisition, making it a critical ecosystem partner.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Glosel-106868879048555
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/glosel-pl

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Glosel