Poland Record high construction

The importance of modernising existing shopping centres and the intensification of their owners' activities in the areas of sustainable development and technological transformation is also growing. According to Colliers, the total stock in modern retail facilities at the end of 2025 approached 13.9 mln sqm. More than half of the annual supply (270,000 sqm) was delivered in the fourth quarter.

During the year as a whole, 25 pct more buildings were delivered than a year earlier, while the total new supply was close to the 2024 level. This was due to the lack of large "power centre" retail parks – none were larger than 20,000 sqm gla. As a result, the average floor area of ​​a new building fell below 9,000 sqm. The largest opening of the past year was Designer Outlet Kraków (19,000 sqm) – the first new outlet centre since 2019.

As in previous years, new supply was dominated by retail parks. In 2025, they accounted for 87 pct of the space delivered. Developer activity was concentrated primarily in towns with fewer than than 100,000 people (71 pct of new supply), which continue to attract lower market saturation rates.

At the end of 2025, over 600,000 sqm of retail park gla was under construction, the highest level recorded in recent years. This high supply confirms the importance of this format in developers' strategies.

The development of the retail park segment is supported by Poland's population distribution and ongoing suburbanization. In 2026, developer activity in this segment will remain high, although they will be increasingly selective – focusing on local markets with limited offerings and in developing districts of large cities. The retail park segment has several years of stable growth ahead, but as the blank spots on the Polish retail map are developed, it will gradually enter a stabilisation phase.
Wojciech Wojtowicz, senior analyst in the market insights department at Colliers

Redevelopments and modernisations of selected retail properties are underway, among them, Bonarka in Kraków. Redevelopment of part of the Europa Centralna shopping centre in Gliwice, where an entertainment centre is planned, has also begun.

We are also seeing the conversion of former shopping centres with large food tenants into retail parks. Examples include the opening of the S1 shopping centers in Włocławek, Gliwice, Dąbrowa Górnicza, Skierniewice, and Tarnowskie Góry. Redevelopments of other shopping centres are underway in Bydgoszcz, Lublin, and Żory.
Wojciech Wojtowicz

In the largest cities, retail and services continue to play a key role in attractive public spaces, including mixed-use projects.

Stable Demand

Despite economic challenges and rising living costs, the average vacancy rate in shopping centres in the eight largest metropolitan areas was 2.8 pct, slightly lower than the previous year.

The stable vacancy rate demonstrates that the Polish retail market remains resilient to cost pressures and changes in consumer behaviour, and that property owners are actively responding to emerging challenges. In centres with higher vacancy rates, renovations or changes in use are underway, and the vacant space is being occupied by new retail, service, and entertainment formats.
Marta Cegielnik, retail director at Colliers

In 2025, over 30 new retail brands debuted in Poland, with the largest group comprising concepts from the fashion, health and beauty, accessories, and jewellery segments. In the fourth quarter alone, 10 new brands were launched, including perfume brand Adopt Parfums, fashion brand Dan John, footwear brand Hey Dude, as well as the first monobrand Nikon store and a Longines watch store. The Boardriders brand returned to Polish retail locations. The first Polish branch of the German chain Burgermeister opened in Szczecin. These debuts confirm the growing interest in the Polish retail market and its further development potential. Meanwhile, the Vissavi brand announced the closure of all its brick-and-mortar stores.

Cinema operators are focusing on modernising their facilities and adapting them to meet growing audience expectations. In 2025, the Helios cinema in Rzeszów and Multikino in Poznań were closed, although the construction of a new cinema in the Avenida shopping mall was also announced in Poznań. At the same time, new IMAX screens were opened in Riviera in Gdynia and the Outlet Park in Szczecin, underscoring the growing role of the premium format in the market.

In mixed-use projects, we are seeing a clear shift with increased activity among tenants in the food, entertainment, recreation, and health and beauty segments. New restaurant openings were recorded, including in Fuzja in Łódź and Bohema in Warsaw, and the first food concepts also appeared in the Office House building – the first completed building in the Towarowa 22 complex. In Gdańsk, the first PaTaThai restaurant outside of Warsaw opened on Granary Island. ArtBox Metaverse debuted in the Norblin Factory. The mixed-use trend is fostering increasing selectivity in tenant selection and underscores the importance of unique retail and food concepts. Premium brands and innovative formats, including food halls, significantly increase the attractiveness of development and they remain particularly desirable among property owners.
Marta Cegielnik

The Development of E-Commerce and Omnichannel

E-commerce as a distribution channel continues to grow, and the share of online sales in retail remains similar to previous years. The trend of direct sales by manufacturers on marketplace platforms and q-commerce is also becoming increasingly visible, as exemplified by the presence of brands such as Inglot, L’Oréal, and YES on Allegro. In 2025, brands such as Carrefour, Cukiernia Sowa, Gorąco Polecam, Hard Rock Cafe, Media Markt, and Popeyes either debuted or expanded their presence in the q-commerce segment.

In 2026, temporary customs duties on small parcels shipped to the EU from third countries are expected to be introduced, which could impact e-commerce growth, particularly for platforms that rely on Asian shipments.