Background: The paper discusses the dynamic development of a new form of sales, which is e-commerce. There are following sources of competitive advantages of a company: sales technology, methods of services and the logistics of goods.

Methods: The results of questionnaire researches conducted in 2012 based on the sample of 607 e-shops were used to present the development of the e-commerce in Poland in last years.

Results and conclusions: The e-commerce does not develop in Poland at present in a previous rate. The slower rate of the growth of the number of newly opened e-shops is the result of the economic crisis, weaker absorption capacity of the market and growing competition among e-retailers. The processes, which occur in the trade sector, are of evolutionary nature and are the results of adaptation activities to the turbulent market environment.