The geography of retail real estate development in Poland is changing noticeably. According to Cushman & Wakefield, all new retail facilities currently under construction in Poland are retail parks located in towns with fewer than 50,000 residents. In major cities, the market is dominated not by new projects, but by extensions of existing retail properties.

📊 In the first quarter of 2026, around 73,000 m² of modern retail space was delivered in Poland. For comparison, the figure stood at 47,000 m² a year earlier and around 89,000 m² in 2024. A total of five new projects were completed during the quarter, all of them in the retail park format. The reported locations include Bochnia, Bogatynia, Tomaszów Lubelski, Tarnobrzeg, and Żyrardów.

🏙 This shift shows that Poland’s retail real estate market is becoming more decentralized. Developers are increasingly entering towns where the supply of modern retail space used to be limited.

📈 At the same time, the average size of new retail facilities in Poland is decreasing. According to Cushman & Wakefield, it fell from around 11,000 m² in 2024 to 7,200 m² in 2026. This confirms that the market is moving away from large shopping and entertainment centers toward smaller, local, and functional projects. The total volume of modern retail space in the country is estimated at approximately 17.3 million m².

🛒 Interest in the retail segment is also supported by consumer activity. In January 2026, retail sales in Poland increased by 4.4% year-on-year, followed by 5.0% growth in February. Particularly strong growth was recorded in furniture, household appliances, and electronics, where sales rose by 7.3%, as well as in textiles, clothing, and footwear, where growth reached 9%.

🏗 Another important signal for the market is the volume of space under construction. At the end of the first quarter of 2026, around 770,000 m² of retail space was under construction in Poland. The main reasons behind the growth of retail projects in small towns include:

— a shortage of modern retail supply outside major urban agglomerations;
— lower competition compared with Warsaw, Kraków, or Wrocław;
— stable demand for convenience stores, discount retailers, and service outlets;
— smaller project scale and clearer construction economics;
— interest from retail chains in expanding beyond the largest cities.

🏘 For the real estate market as a whole, this points to the growing role of Poland’s small towns. The development of retail infrastructure improves quality of life, strengthens the commercial appeal of local areas, and may support interest in residential property near new retail facilities.

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