Polish retail chains stepped up their promotional activity in the first half of 2026, publishing 6.9% more special offers in their leaflets than in the corresponding period of the previous year. The strongest growth was recorded by cash-and-carry operators and discount chains, where the number of promotions increased by 27.8% and 25.2% year on year, respectively.
Four retail formats recorded declines: convenience stores, health and beauty retailers and pharmacies, DIY chains, and consumer electronics and household appliance stores. The steepest fall occurred in the latter category, where the number of promotions dropped by 17.4% year on year.
The data also point to a further polarisation of the market. The largest grocery formats are increasing promotional pressure, while specialist retailers are more likely to reduce the number of offers they communicate.
An analysis of nearly 1.3 million promotions published in more than 8,500 retail leaflets found that the total number of offers in the first half of 2026 was 6.9% higher than in the same period of 2025. This meant that consumers had access to almost 43,000 more promotional offers than a year earlier.
The increase, however, was generated mainly by cash-and-carry operators and discount chains, according to a report prepared by UCE RESEARCH, Hiper-Com Poland and the Blix Group.
“The rise in promotional activity among discount chains is mainly driven by increasing competition for shopping frequency. Retailers are increasingly focusing on short-term, targeted promotions lasting only a few days. They regularly change their offers and increase the number of deals they advertise,” said Dr Krzysztof Łuczak of the Blix Group.
“They are also expanding app-only promotions, loyalty-card offers and campaigns available to all customers. This variety allows them to refresh their leaflets and promotional communications more frequently,” he added.
Cash-and-Carry and Discount Chains Drive Market Growth
Slightly different mechanisms are at work in the cash-and-carry segment.
“In this format, high-volume purchases, multipacks and offers aimed at businesses, the hospitality sector and small retailers play a major role. The increase in promotional activity may therefore result both from competition for professional customers and from the growing openness of this channel to individual consumers,” said Julita Pryzmont of Hiper-Com Poland.
“The base effect should also be taken into account. In formats that traditionally publish fewer promotions, it is relatively easier to record a high percentage increase,” she added.
Cash-and-carry chains increased the number of promotions by 18,300, representing year-on-year growth of 27.8%.
Discount chains recorded an even larger increase in absolute terms, publishing almost 27,700 more promotions than a year earlier. This translated into growth of 25.2%.
During the same period, the number of promotions offered by hypermarkets rose by 4.1% year on year, while supermarkets recorded an increase of 3.2%.
Supermarkets nevertheless remained the market leader in terms of the total number of promotions published. During the period under review, they prepared more than 173,000 offers, ahead of discount chains with 137,600 and hypermarkets with 124,100.
“The result recorded by discount chains is not solely a consequence of an intensifying price war. It primarily reflects a change in the way promotions are conducted. Today’s customers expect special offers to appear regularly, rather than only once a week with the publication of a new leaflet,” said Marcin Lenkiewicz of the Blix Group.
“Discount chains are therefore increasing the number of promotions they communicate, although not necessarily the scale of the price reductions. Retailers are increasingly moving away from long, broad campaigns in favour of a larger number of short, precisely targeted promotions. This allows them to encourage customers to visit their stores more frequently,” he explained.
Dr Łuczak added that, for these reasons, the developments should be viewed as an evolution of discount chains’ promotional strategies rather than a conventional price war.
“Due to their broader product ranges and different cost structures, supermarkets and hypermarkets place greater emphasis on maintaining stable margins and running selective promotional campaigns. This is why growth in these segments is considerably slower,” he said.
Promotional Activity Falls in Four Retail Formats
Four retail formats reduced the scale of their promotional activity.
The sharpest decline was recorded by consumer electronics and household appliance retailers, where the number of promotions fell by 17.4%. They were followed by health and beauty chains and pharmacies, down 13.6%, and DIY retailers, down 9.1%.
Convenience stores also prepared fewer promotional offers, recording a decline of 6.8%.
Pryzmont does not interpret these decreases as evidence of improving margins or reduced competition. In her view, it is more likely that some retail formats are changing the way they communicate special offers.
Apps, loyalty programmes, personalised coupons, email marketing and offers directed at specific customer groups are becoming increasingly important.
“In the consumer electronics and household appliance segment, the nature of the category may be particularly relevant. Purchases of electronics and household appliances are less frequent, more carefully planned and increasingly begin with online price comparisons. Competition has therefore largely moved online, where prices can be changed more dynamically,” Pryzmont said.
“In DIY retail, seasonality and the selective promotion of particular product categories may play a role. Convenience stores, meanwhile, rely more heavily on availability, location and shopping speed than on an extensive leaflet-based promotional offer,” she added.
Consumers Remain Highly Price-Sensitive
According to Lenkiewicz, the overall increase in the number of promotions primarily confirms that consumers remain highly sensitive to prices, despite the slowdown in inflation.
Polish consumers continue to compare prices actively, plan their purchases around special offers and expect retailers to provide attractive deals.
At the same time, promotions have become a permanent part of the strategies pursued by the largest retail chains. They are effective in generating customer traffic, increasing the frequency of store visits and helping retailers distinguish themselves from competitors.
“It is worth closely monitoring the direction of these changes. There are increasingly frequent signs that some retailers want to move gradually away from communication based solely on promotions and instead consistently build an image of offering permanently low and attractive prices,” Dr Łuczak said.
“This does not mean the end of promotions. They will remain one of the most important sales tools. In the longer term, however, the winners will not only be the chains offering the largest number of promotions, but also those perceived by customers as the most cost-effective places for everyday shopping,” he stressed.
Pryzmont concluded that a 6.9% increase in the number of promotions should not automatically be equated with greater benefits for consumers.
The number of campaigns indicates the intensity of promotional activity in the market, but does not answer the question of how attractive the offers actually are.
It is possible for the statistical number of promotions to increase while the offers themselves become more selective and conditional. Increasingly, special prices are linked to the purchase of several units, the use of an app or loyalty card, or are available only for a very short period.
Research Methodology
Experts from UCE RESEARCH, Hiper-Com Poland and the Blix Group analysed more than 8,500 retail leaflets containing promotional offers. The publications had a combined length of more than 188,000 pages and a total area exceeding 4.8 million square centimetres.
The analysis covered leaflets issued in the first half of 2026 and the corresponding period of 2025.
The publications contained nearly 1.3 million promotions in total, including more than 662,000 in 2026 and almost 619,000 in 2025.
The study covered the eight largest retail formats in Poland: discount chains, hypermarkets, supermarkets, convenience stores, cash-and-carry operators, health and beauty retailers and pharmacies, DIY chains, and consumer electronics and household appliance stores.
Source: CEO.com.pl
