Wednesday, 19 August 2026
Poland’s shopping centre market continued to show resilience during the first half of 2026, with sales growing faster than visitor numbers and several service and leisure categories recording particularly strong results.
Sales generated by tenants in shopping centres increased by 2.2% year-on-year between January and June, while visitor numbers were 0.6% higher, according to data from the Polish Council of Shopping Centres (PRCH). The difference between the two indicators suggests that consumers spent more during their visits even though overall growth in customer traffic remained modest.
June provided a stronger finish to the six-month period. Sales were 5.4% higher than a year earlier, while the number of visitors increased by 5%. The improvement indicates that physical retail destinations continue to attract consumers despite the expansion of online shopping and changing purchasing habits.
Leisure-related businesses were among the strongest performers during the first half of the year. Sales in the entertainment category increased by 7.1%, while health and beauty businesses recorded growth of 5.1%. Restaurants and cafés generated 3.8% more sales, while service businesses increased their revenues by 3.6%.
The results reflect the continuing evolution of shopping centres from primarily retail destinations into locations combining stores with restaurants, personal services, entertainment and other activities. This diversification is becoming increasingly important for property owners seeking to increase the amount of time customers spend at their assets and create additional reasons for people to visit.
Larger shopping centres performed particularly well. Properties exceeding 60,000 sqm recorded a 2.8% increase in sales and a 1.2% rise in visitor numbers during the first half of the year. Centres between 40,000 and 60,000 sqm generated sales growth of 1.8%, while visitor numbers remained broadly unchanged.
Medium-sized centres between 20,000 and 40,000 sqm increased sales by 1.5% and visitor numbers by 0.9%. Smaller properties between 5,000 and 20,000 sqm produced a 2.4% improvement in sales despite receiving 0.6% fewer visitors than during the corresponding period of 2025.
The performance of smaller centres is particularly notable because it shows that higher visitor numbers are not necessarily required to generate sales growth. Location, tenant selection, convenience and the spending generated during each customer visit are becoming increasingly significant measures of asset performance.
There were also differences between regional markets. Białystok, Poznań and Warsaw were among the cities recording the strongest sales improvements during the first six months of the year, while eastern, central and north-western Poland performed particularly well at regional level.
Growth moderated compared with the beginning of the year. During the first quarter of 2026, shopping-centre sales had increased by 4.3% year-on-year and visitor numbers by 1.3%. The six-month figures therefore indicate a more uneven second quarter, although the stronger performance recorded in June improved the overall result.
PRCH’s analysis is based on information collected from shopping centres representing approximately 5 million sqm of space, equivalent to around one-third of Poland’s shopping-centre market. Sales information supplied by tenants is combined with electronically recorded visitor numbers to track changes in the performance of the sector.
The operating results come as Poland’s retail property sector continues to evolve following another period of development activity. The country had approximately 14.2 million sqm of modern retail space at the end of 2025, with retail parks accounting for much of the recently completed supply.
For owners and investors, the first-half figures provide further evidence that established shopping centres remain capable of generating sales growth even without substantial increases in visitor numbers. At the same time, the stronger performance of entertainment, health and beauty, restaurants and services reinforces the importance of broadening the tenant mix beyond conventional shops.
The direction of the market increasingly suggests that the competitiveness of Polish shopping centres will depend not simply on attracting more visitors, but on creating destinations where consumers have more reasons to stay, spend and return.
