Singapore-based technology group Sea Shopee is pulling out of Poland. The platform has announced that it is ceasing operations and the ability to place new orders through the website will be discontinued as of January 14.
In an email to employees, Shopee CEO Chris Feng wrote that the company has decided to focus operations in Asia and Latin America, where “we have already achieved significant scale and see great long-term growth potential for us.”
Shopee’s exit from Poland seems like an abrupt decision (especially since the official news only hit the media today, a day before the closure), but there were already layoffs at the company’s Polish branch in the fall of 2022 due to “optimization of operational efficiency.” Nevertheless, the store’s representatives announced that this year they were planning a big promotion of branded products in the “Shopee Brand Zone” and talked about expanding cooperation with well-known distributors.
“The company, by closing its subsidiary in Poland, not only exits Europe completely, but will additionally lay off more than 200 employees.”