Supermarkets and Grocery Stores in Poland: What You Need to Know and How to Save Money

Which supermarkets in Poland are the cheapest and which are the most expensive? The most popular Polish supermarket chains Opening hours of Polish stores Faster and smarter: simple tips Mobile apps for great deals

Where can you buy groceries in Poland? Which supermarkets offer the best savings? If you've recently arrived or are planning to work in Poland — these are very relevant questions for you. By the way, if you're still preparing for the move — check out our helpful article. In this article, we've gathered information about everyday grocery shopping at food stores and supermarkets in Poland.

Which supermarkets in Poland are the cheapest and which are the most expensive?

First of all, we want to note that the market situation can change over time, and the cheapest supermarkets in Poland in 2023 may become more expensive two years later, and vice versa. For example, Biedronka was recently considered the most budget-friendly option for everyday shopping in Poland. However, this supermarket chain is no longer the cheapest. You can find current information through the "Price Basket" project — a joint study by the portals DlaHandlu.pl and PortalSpożywczy.pl. As part of this project, prices of dozens of products across several store categories are monitored (delicatessen shops, discounters, supermarkets, hypermarkets, local stores — over 20 retail chains in total). Researchers evaluate the cost of a basket of 50 products in supermarkets in Warsaw, Bydgoszcz, Upper Silesia (Górny Śląsk), Kraków, Lublin and the Tri-City agglomeration (Gdańsk, Sopot and Gdynia). Prices may vary between different regions. To get data relevant to your city, select it in the Pokaż sklepy z regionu filter, and in the Pokaż field — Koszyk portalu dlahandlu.pl. The information is available here. In particular, we can see that the three cheapest stores include Auchan, Lidl and Biedronka. Below you can see an infographic with Warsaw and Gdańsk supermarkets, and further on we'll discuss each chain individually.

The most popular Polish supermarket chains

Here's a brief overview of the most widespread grocery chains. Auchan — a French chain, undeniably the cheapest in Poland. Around 130 Auchan stores in various formats operate in the country. Lidl — German supermarkets offering budget-friendly shopping and a wide selection of products. There are over 800 Lidl stores in Poland. Biedronka — the largest and very popular chain. Everyone has seen that ladybug logo! Over 3,200 Biedronka stores operate in Poland in more than 1,100 towns. Previously it was one of the most budget-friendly shopping options; the situation has changed somewhat since then.

Netto — a Danish retail chain with 660 stores and five distribution centers in Poland. The majority of Netto supermarkets are located in the southern, western, northern and central parts of the country. Kaufland — a German supermarket chain. It currently has around 230 locations in Poland. Dino — one of the fastest-growing chains in Poland with over 2,000 retail outlets across the country. Aldi — another German chain present in Poland. Prices at Aldi stores are in the mid-range. E.Leclerc — a French supermarket chain. It used to be a leader among the cheapest stores; the situation is now slightly different. The E.Leclerc retail group has 44 stores in Poland, including not only supermarkets but also shopping centers and express-format outlets. Carrefour — a French chain with approximately 900 retail locations across the country. It's worth noting that large Carrefour supermarkets are cheaper, whereas Carrefour Express stores sell products at much higher prices (it tops the ranking for most expensive). Stokrotka — a Polish chain with around 100 supermarkets as of 2023. Spar — this Dutch chain has around 150 mid-range stores in Poland. Lewiatan — a Polish franchise retail network with 3,200 points of sale (operated by 2,100 independent entrepreneurs). Intermarché — also a franchise chain with Polish capital, but with far fewer stores — around 200. Polomarket — another Polish chain with over 280 retail locations. Żabka — a very popular chain whose stores are everywhere. You can pop in for small items, a snack, or something you need on a Sunday. However, doing your full grocery shopping here is not cost-effective — it's the most expensive option, on par with Carrefour Express.

Opening hours of Polish stores

Polish grocery stores are open Monday through Saturday — opening hours vary depending on the chain and city. For example, most Biedronka and Lidl stores are open from 6 a.m. to 10 or 11 p.m. Generally, the working day in Poland starts earlier than in Ukraine. People are already at work from 7–8 in the morning and finish earlier accordingly. So if you want to avoid queues at the supermarket, steer clear of shopping between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. Special attention is needed on the question of Sundays with a retail ban. In Poland, since 2018, the Act on Restriction of Trading on Sundays, Public Holidays and Certain Other Days has been in effect. On Sundays, the following may operate:

• petrol stations (and their convenience stores),
• flower shops,
• pharmacies,
• newsstands, ticket outlets and tobacco shops,
• post offices,
• outlets in hotels, airports or train stations (for example, there are Biedronka stores open at train stations),
• shops where the owner themselves serves customers.

This law has resulted in only small retail outlets being open on Sundays — for example, Żabka or Carrefour Express stores, provided that the owner is serving customers.

The exception is the so-called niedziele handlowe (trading Sundays). These are a few Sundays a year when grocery stores are open (usually arranged before holidays to avoid panic buying). Calendars of trading Sundays (niedziele handlowe) can be found online; in 2023 these are:

• 29 January
• 2 April
• 30 April
• 25 June
• 27 August
• 17 December
• 24 December

What to do if there are no stores nearby but you urgently need groceries? You can order them online and use delivery. Many popular stores offer delivery — Auchan, Biedronka, Kaufland, Carrefour, Żabka, Stokrotka and others. Some run their own delivery services and couriers, while others handle orders through intermediaries — Glovo, Everli, Uber Eats.

Faster and smarter: simple tips

Some of these tips may seem obvious, but we'll remind you anyway how to make grocery shopping in Poland more affordable and efficient.

1. Don't forget about loyalty cards. You can get one at almost any store in Poland. Ask at the checkout. Cards are useful — you'll receive various discounts and be able to save on groceries.
2. Explore the range and store's own-brand products. Auchan, Biedronka, Lidl and many other stores have their own-brand products, sold only in those chains. These products often have good quality and a significantly lower price. It's another great way to save on shopping.
3. Use self-checkout lanes. These lanes have appeared en masse in Ukrainian stores recently, so our compatriots are no strangers to them. There are usually shorter queues at self-checkout, giving you a chance to speed up the shopping process. In Poland, at some stores, you can even switch the self-checkout to Ukrainian. And if you're not sure how to use it or run into any issues — just ask a member of staff for help.

Mobile apps for great deals

Let's continue with the topic of customer loyalty cards. Many chains have moved these cards into their own apps. For example, you can download Lidl Plus to your smartphone and buy products at special prices, activate available offers in the Carrefour app and show a discount code at the checkout. The Żappka mobile app (from Żabka stores) lets you collect points and then spend them on products. News about current discounts and promotions can be found directly in the chain's app. In addition, there are separate independent apps for finding the best deals in Polish stores.

• QPONY

An app with promotions, coupons and sales at stores, restaurants, pharmacies and household goods shops.

• PEPPER

A free app with discounts, promo codes, coupons and deals at various establishments and stores.

• MojaGazetka

Here you'll also find current discounts on food, cosmetics, building materials and many other product categories.

• PROMOTHEUS

An app featuring promotional leaflets from popular stores.

What if you have very little money for food and even promotions at the cheapest supermarkets don't help? For such cases, here are some ways to get food for free or at a very steep discount. This is food that is approaching its expiry date but is still perfectly fit for consumption. The Foodsi app offers packaged food from restaurants, cafes and bakeries, and less often from supermarkets. You can often choose the type of products. It all works simply: you choose a food package, reserve it, and pick it up in person from the establishment. Another popular app is Too Good To Go. It shows places (cafes, bakeries, restaurants or supermarkets) where food nearing its expiry date is offered. In this case you don't know what will be in the pack, but you can contact the establishment and ask whether the package contains any allergens. Everything else works the same — reserve the products for a specific time, pay and collect.

We hope this article was helpful! Happy shopping and great deals!

We prepare useful articles about life and work in Poland. How can Ukrainians get a Polish pension? How to use the Diia.pl app? We've already written about these topics!

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