Which Polish Brands Are Available in Ukraine?

We have already written about which Ukrainian brands are present in Poland. But many Ukrainians in Poland are surprised to discover that some familiar brands are actually Polish. This is a welcome bonus — the quality of products on the shelves in Ukrainian and Polish stores is identical, so in a new country you can still buy the products you already know and love. What brands are we talking about? Which Polish companies have entered the food, clothing, and cosmetics markets in Ukraine? This article may come as a surprise — there are genuinely a lot of such brands.

Polish Food Brands on the Ukrainian Market

On the shelves of Ukrainian supermarkets, shops, and online stores you can find Polish food brands that are also sold in Poland. For example, Mokate — in Ukraine you can buy this producer's coffee, as well as tea, cappuccino, hot chocolate, cocoa, dry creamers, plant-based milk, and more. Bakalland sells dry goods — in Ukraine you can find this producer's healthy sweets, dried fruits, nuts, breakfast cereals, and similar products. Łaciate is one of the most recognizable Polish dairy brands on the Ukrainian market. Polish canned goods Marinero and M&K are also sold in Ukraine. On supermarket shelves you can easily find Devely sauces, Kujawski oil, Felix nuts, Kamis spices and sauces, Sante cereals and salt, and Wedel chocolate products. It is worth noting that many global corporations have factories in Poland — so Orbit chewing gum, Kinder chocolate eggs, Raffaello sweets, and Lay's crisps sold in Ukrainian stores may well be of Polish origin.

Polish Clothing and Footwear Brands in Ukraine

Retail industry analysts say that Polish clothing brands hold a 10% share of the Ukrainian market and are aiming to double that figure. You may not have heard of LPP Group, but you certainly know stores such as Reserved, Cropp, House, Mohito, and Sinsay. Sinsay, Cropp, and House outlets can be found in many shopping centres across Ukraine — even smaller ones — and all of these stores are brands of the Polish company LPP.

At the end of 2023, LPP Group's Ukrainian portfolio comprised 144 stores with a total floor area of 134,675 sq.m. It is worth noting that after the start of the full-scale war, the Polish company grew even further because giants such as Inditex (Zara, Pull&Bear, Bershka, and others) and H&M closed their stores. Reserved, Cropp, House, Mohito, and Sinsay — as competitors in the fast-fashion segment — successfully capitalised on the moment, since demand in this segment is among the highest.

Another Polish brand, CCC Group, has been operating in Ukraine since 2012 and by the end of 2023 had 15 shoe stores. In Poland, CCC (the abbreviation stands for "cena czyni cuda" — "price works wonders") controls nearly 20% of the footwear market. Last year, CCC Group launched the HalfPrice brand on the Ukrainian market, offering branded goods at significant discounts.

Other Polish clothing, footwear, and accessories brands present on the Ukrainian market include: ■ Gino Rossi (women's and men's footwear), ■ Pako Lorente (men's clothing), ■ Esotiq (lingerie), ■ Top Secret (clothing). In 2024, the opening of stores for the Polish women's clothing and accessories brand Greenpoint is expected.

Polish Cosmetics in Ukraine

The number of Polish cosmetic brands represented in Ukraine is enormous — some of them, such as Bell, have been on the market since the 1990s. What other Polish cosmetics brands will you find in Ukrainian drugstores and beauty shops? Inglot Cosmetics — a manufacturer of professional colour cosmetics. Eveline — currently the largest cosmetics exporter and manufacturer in Poland. The Eveline brand covers both skincare and colour cosmetics. Ziaja — a Polish producer of pharmaceutical preparations and cosmetics for the face, body, and hair. Dr Irena Eris — primarily skincare, but also colour cosmetics. Lirene — a wide range of facial and body care products (creams, cleansers, serums, emulsions, shower gels) as well as colour cosmetics (tinted products). Pani Walewska — a fragrant cosmetics brand, well known since Soviet times. Bielenda — a natural skincare brand. Yope — a manufacturer of body, hair, and other personal care products.

Among other Polish cosmetic brands well known in Ukraine: Paese (colour cosmetics), Elfa (hair and body care), Ingrid Cosmetics, and Bless Beauty (colour cosmetics).

Part of the cosmetics produced by Garnier (French brand), Mixa (France), Luxliss (Germany), Nivea (Germany), L'Oréal (France), and other global brands is manufactured in Poland.

Other Polish Brands Present in Ukraine

The following Polish manufacturers are represented in Ukraine: ■ Solaris Bus&Coach — a Polish bus-building company producing buses, trolleybuses, trams, ambulances, and more. ■ Kross — a bicycle manufacturer. ■ FAKRO — a Polish window brand. ■ BRW (black red white), Signal — Polish furniture. ■ Cersanit, Tubadzin, Paradyz and Cerrad — ceramic tiles. ■ Cosh, LIDZ, Rea, Cersanit, Armatura and KOLO — sanitary ware and plumbing. ■ Topex, Hardex, Hogert, Neo Tools — tools and equipment. And this is far from a complete list of Polish-made products available in Ukraine.

The article uses photos from the Ukrainian Retailers Association and Inglot Ukraine.