According to the latest market report, 38.1% of Poles plan to keep their Easter budget at last year’s level. This refers to the amount of money allocated to purchasing food for Easter, including non-alcoholic beverages. Meanwhile, 34.7% of respondents say they intend to increase their spending, while 17.5% state that their budget will be lower than a year ago. Another 7.2% are unable to say at this stage. Only 2.5% of those surveyed say they will spend nothing on this purpose, for example because they do not celebrate the holiday or will be away at that time. The authors of the report argue that Poles are rather cautious this year, but are not experiencing a crisis. The results suggest that consumers are currently functioning in conditions of moderate stability, albeit with some mild cost pressure.
The report by UCE RESEARCH and Shopfully Poland, titled Poles on Holiday Shopping. Easter 2026, shows how consumers assess their budget for purchasing Easter food, including non-alcoholic beverages, in comparison with last year. A total of 38.1% of respondents say that it will be the same as before. According to Robert Biegaj, co-author of the report, such a declaration reflects an attempt to keep household spending at its current level.
“This can be interpreted as a sign of relative stability in consumer behavior. Many Poles have become accustomed to a certain level of spending on holiday shopping and are trying to maintain a similar budget by adjusting their shopping lists or making use of promotions. This group may also include people who did not cut back on Easter spending last year and want to maintain a similar standard for their holiday table,” the expert comments.
At the same time, 34.7% of Poles say that their budget this year will be higher than last year’s, including 6.9% who describe it as much higher and 27.8% as higher. Robert Biegaj believes this approach may result from several factors. First, some consumers assume that food prices ahead of Easter may be higher than a year ago, and therefore plan larger spending in advance. Second, in many cases this may reflect a desire to slightly improve the standard of the holiday, for example by purchasing more products or better-quality items, though not necessarily on a very large scale. This is confirmed by the fact that most people in this group describe their budget as only slightly higher.
“The impact of an improvement in the financial situation of some households also cannot be ruled out, for example thanks to wage increases or bonuses. This shows that the material situation of part of Polish society may have improved somewhat over the past year, allowing them to approach holiday spending with greater ease,” says the Shopfully Poland expert.
Meanwhile, 17.5% of survey participants say their budget will be lower, including 13.1% who say it will be lower and 4.4% who say it will be much lower. “This is a group of more financially cautious consumers. In some cases, this may result from the need to reduce spending because of an individual financial situation, such as higher day-to-day living costs. It is also possible that some respondents plan to shop more sensibly than last year. It should be emphasized that a lower budget does not necessarily mean giving up holiday products, but rather more rational shopping planning, for example making greater use of promotions, comparing prices, or reducing the number of items purchased,” Robert Biegaj analyzes.
The report also shows that 7.2% of Poles are unable to define their plans. “These people will make their decision closer to the holiday. In their case, the level of spending may depend on current prices in stores, available promotions, or their current financial situation. Some respondents may also simply not yet have specific shopping plans,” the report’s co-author points out.
A further 2.5% of respondents say they will spend nothing on this purpose because, for example, they do not celebrate Easter or will be away during that time. In the expert’s opinion, this is a relatively small group. Most often, these are people who do not celebrate Easter, who will spend that time away from home, for example in another country, or who will attend gatherings organized by other family members. On the scale of the entire population, this is not a surprising result, since for not everyone the holiday involves organizing their own shopping and preparations.
“The declarations made by participants in this survey should primarily be treated as indicative information, a barometer of sentiment, rather than a precise year-on-year comparison of amounts. The data show more how Poles perceive their spending and shopping plans than how much each family will actually spend. Comparing budgets year on year based on respondents’ declarations naturally carries a risk of inaccuracy, because most people do not keep detailed records of holiday spending and often rely on memory or general impressions,” argues Robert Biegaj.
Description of the analytical and research method
The report titled Poles on Holiday Shopping. Easter 2026 was based on a dedicated public opinion survey. The study was conducted in early March 2026 using the CAWI method (Computer-Assisted Web Interview), which involves computer-assisted online questionnaires. The survey was carried out by the analytical and research platform UCE RESEARCH and Shopfully Poland on a nationwide sample of 1,008 adult Poles aged 18 to 80. Respondents were selected using a quota-random method, taking into account age, gender, and region, with the use of a research panel, and participation in the study was anonymous.
