Poland

In 2023, Poland is seeing a significant expansion in processed fruit and vegetable offerings as players cater to growing consumer demand for convenience, health-conscious options, and varied flavour profiles.

Due to their robustness and long shelf life, metal food cans remain the dominant pack type in shelf stable fruit and vegetables, in which shelf stable vegetables account for the bulk of demand. However, alternatives to metal food cans, including…

Metal food cans continue to be the main packaging format used in both shelf stable meat and shelf stable seafood in Poland. Canned seafood, particularly fish, is a low-acid meal ingredient or solution that rapidly promotes the growth of microbes if…

The Polish meat market is undergoing a phase of brand rejuvenation and minor innovations to align with evolving consumer preferences for healthier and more convenient options. Duda, a prominent meat brand, has expanded its poultry range, catering to…

Even before the onset of COVID-19, the review period had seen strong growth in demand for ready meals packaging, but the pandemic added impetus to this trend in 2020. With consumers spending more time at home during the year, they ate more meals…

Retail volume sales of refrigeration appliances witnessed further decline in 2023 as consumers grappled with higher costs of living. The purchase of new appliances has been weakened by the slowdown in the housing market, as fewer people moved homes.…

In 2023, the ageing population in Poland drove sales in adult retail incontinence goods, which saw positive, double-digit retail volume and value growth. As the number of older adults in need of special health assistance rose, this was accompanied by…

In 2023, retail value sales of retail e-commerce recoded healthy growth. The category benefited enormously from the pandemic during which there was a surge in the number of consumers shopping online. While the threat from COVID-19 has waned…

High inflation led to a deterioration in consumer purchasing power in 2023 with many consumers who had the additional financial burden of mortgages and other loans being particularly badly affected. Instalments increased significantly as a result of…

In 2023, retail tissue in Poland registered double-digit retail value growth, the result of high inflation and rising price points. As manufacturers faced increased production costs, these were passed on to consumers, resulting in higher unit prices.…

In 2023, rice, pasta, and noodles in Poland is gravitating towards convenience and innovative formats. This shift is in response to changing consumer preferences that increasingly value quick, easy-to-prepare options alongside nutritional benefits.

In 2023, RTD coffee leads as the fastest growing category in soft drinks, in volume terms. Despite the unfavourable economic conditions, RTD coffee continues to attract new consumers. The product category is widely available in the modern trade, with…

In 2023, RTD tea declined in volume terms. Demand fell as consumers became more budget-conscious due to the cost of living crisis and higher average prices. RTD tea is also highly seasonal drink, with high dependency on promotional activities from…

Spirit-based RTDs was the most dynamic category within RTDs in Poland in 2023. Looking to capitalise on the growing demand for these products players continued to develop and launch new lines of RTDs in 2023. For example, in 2023 Jack Daniel's & Cola…

In the first half of 2023, sauces, dips, and condiments witnessed significant growth. A key factor contributing to this trend was the introduction of numerous innovative products that redefined traditional offerings, appealing to the increasingly…

There was a sharp acceleration in the rate of growth in demand for sauces, dips and condiments packaging during 2020, as consumers spent more time at home and prepared and ate more meals and snacks there. This continued in 2021, with the COVID-19 and…

There was a sharp acceleration in the rate of growth in demand for sauces, dressings and condiments packaging during 2020, as consumers spent more time at home and prepared and ate more meals and snacks there. There was particularly strong growth in…

In Poland, meat snacks experienced a notable resurgence towards the end of the review period despite these products already having a long-standing presence in the market. This revival was not only limited to traditional meat snacks, but also…

Self-service cafeterias was one of the strongest performers among the main foodservice categories in Poland in terms of growth in transactions and current value sales in 2023. Like limited-service restaurants, it weathered the cost-of-living crisis…

Skin care in Poland flourished throughout the review period, seemingly unaffected by the impact of the pandemic and prevailing economic challenges, and retail volume and current value growth continued in 2023, with increases in sales across all…

A high proportion of Polish population suffer from sleep disorders, and this problem intensified during the review period. During the COVID-19 pandemic, consumers were forced to deal with high levels of anxiety and stress, which resulted in many…

In general terms, small cooking appliances are seeing steady growth trend in retail volume terms, with demand underpinned by the elevated interest in cooking a home that has been seen among the population of Poland since the onset of the COVID-19…

In 2023, small local grocers recorded low growth in retail value sales. Double-digit inflation has changed the shopping habits of Poles. Consumers purchase less, save money, buy cheaper alternatives or limit their consumption. In 2023, sales of beer…

Closed system single use e-cigarettes turned out to be a big winner in 2023 with the category recording dynamic growth for the second year running. These products are perceived as the easiest e-vapour product for new vapers to approach and use. The…

The snacks market in Poland has been significantly affected by the elevated rate of inflation and low consumer and business confidence, which have negatively impacted sales growth. Declining real incomes, coupled with an already low saving rate, put…

Soft drinks in Poland witnessed a decline in volume sales in 2023, following a second year of double-digit inflation. The steep growth in unit prices led to weaker demand for soft drinks, with some categories suffering more than the previous year.…

The PET bottle is the dominant pack type in Polish soft drinks, in the retail channel in particular. PET bottles are seen as a convenient option for many soft drink products, such as carbonates and bottled water, as they come in various pack sizes,…

In 2024, spectacle lenses maintained their position as the primary growth driver within spectacles, surpassing frames and readymade reading glasses in both retail value and volume terms. The necessity for regular replacement of spectacle lenses due…

The average unit price of spirits in Poland rose sharply in 2023 due to high inflation, an increase in production costs, and a further increase in the excise tax rate by 5%. Although these price rises translated into strong growth in current value…

Despite being an emerging product in Poland, sports drinks saw volume sales growth slow in 2023, due to ongoing inflation and diminishing purchasing power. Nevertheless, it was still one of the top performing categories in soft drinks. The importance…

Sports nutrition continued its upward trajectory in 2023, with every type of product seeing enhanced growth in retail volume terms. With the COVID-19 crisis having largely abated, consumers began to pay more attention to their health and wellbeing,…

Despite Poland's sustained high inflation in 2023, the prices for sports and sports-inspired clothing continued their upward trajectory, albeit at a slower pace than in 2022. Consequently, sportswear experienced significant sales growth in value…

In 2023, the Polish government implemented new regulations aimed at supporting bakeries and pastry shops amid escalating gas prices. Effective from April 7, these regulations broadened the eligibility criteria for purchasing gas at a regulated price…

During 2022, there remained no store cards in circulation in Poland as the entire store cards concept is seen as obsolete and there are currently no issuers or operators with any interest in offering store cards to consumers. Previously, Sygma Bank…

Street stalls/kiosks was among the better performing areas of Poland’s foodservice market in 2023, in part because comparatively low prices ensured it was somewhat less exposed to the cost-of-living crisis. Given the importance of on-the-go…

There was a growing trend of sugar confectionery shops becoming more common in Poland towards the end of the review period, with these replacing traditional mobile sweets stalls. One factor that contributed to this trend was the increasing presence…

After witnessing significant declines in 2020 in the first year of COVID-19, sun care in Poland saw continuous robust retail volume and current value growth from 2021 to 2023, recovering fully in current value terms, but not rebounding completely…

Sunglasses continue to exhibit robust growth in eyewear in Poland in 2024, albeit at a slightly slower pace compared to the previous year. Despite economic challenges stemming from the cost-of-living crisis, the category remains one of the…

Supermarkets recorded strong growth in value sales in 2023. The upward trend in the number of supermarkets also continued in 2023 with supermarkets recording the highest growth in grocery retailers during the year. Proximity supermarkets, ie local…

Retail value growth was double-digit in 2023, with retail value driven by rising price points. With the high inflation rate impacting consumer purchasing power, there was a growing trend towards value-driven surface care solutions in 2023. Consumers…

Over 60% of consumers in Poland reduce food waste and recycle items, while the majority aim to positively impact the planet, shaping their sustainable purchasing decisions. These habits have led over 40% of consumers to identify as Zero Wasters,…

The sweet biscuits, snack bars, and fruit snacks category in Poland witnessed a trend of innovations and novel flavours that helped to maintain sales volume towards the end of the review period. Brands such as Dobry Squad, San, and Baron introduced…

In the first half of 2023, sweet spreads in Poland witnessed a surge in innovative flavour profiles, highlighting a trend towards experimental taste combinations. Bartnik Mazowiecki, notably, introduced Kokosowy Orzeszek, a unique blend of hazelnut…

Glass jars is the dominant pack type in jams and preserves, which remains the main sweet spreads category – but thin wall plastic containers are growing in popularity as a cheaper alternative, with this latter pack type again recording double-digit…

Tea registered stable volume growth in 2023, aided by its popularity in Poland where it is widely consumed. Retail volume growth has slowed, however, with consumers facing higher prices in the tea category as part of a broad rise in the cost of…

In 2023, the tissue and hygiene landscape in Poland recorded positive, double-digit retail value growth, driven by rising price points. As such, while value sales were high, retail volume was challenged in areas viewed as unessential, including…

Sales of cigarettes in Poland declined slightly in 2023 in retail volume terms. In 2022 the influx of refugees from Ukraine strongly revived sales of cigarettes in the country, but the impact of this weakened in 2023. A similar picture was seen in…

Retail value growth was double-digit in 2023, driven by rising price points and inflation. While consumers became increasingly price-conscious, retail volume growth remained positive, with the outbreak of COVID-19 having a heightened awareness of…

Domestic travel is recovering at a faster rate than inbound tourism in Poland. In 2023, Polish consumers are seen to be eager to book stays in domestic tourist resorts, go on city breaks, and travel to visit family or friends and, at the same time,…