The Polish Council of Shopping Centres (PRCH) has presented data on shopping centre performance in March 2026, along with a summary of the first quarter of 2026. The figures point to a strong start to the year for the sector. In March, turnover increased by 4.1% year on year, while footfall rose by 3.4%. On a quarterly basis, comparing Q1 2026 with Q1 2025, turnover grew by 4.3%, while footfall increased by 1.3%.
The reliability of the data is supported by the PRCH index methodology, which is based on actual tenant turnover reported to shopping centre managers and visitor counts measured using 3D cameras operating with an accuracy of more than 95%. The data comes from a representative number of retail properties with a combined area of approximately 5 million sqm, representing 34% of the market.
In March 2026, the turnover index rose by 4.1%, while footfall increased by 3.4% year on year. The average value per visit grew by 0.7%. The results were positively influenced, among other factors, by one additional trading day — the shopping Sunday before Easter — and by the approaching Easter holidays, which fell at the beginning of April. In the final days of March, customers visited shopping centres more frequently to make pre-Easter purchases, which was reflected in the strong performance of the food category.
The categories with the highest year-on-year turnover growth in March 2026 were:
- Speciality goods: +7.0%
- Food: +6.7%
- Health and beauty: +6.7%
- Restaurants and cafés: +5.4%
On a quarterly basis, turnover increased by 4.3%, while footfall rose by 1.3% compared with Q1 2025. The average value per visit to a shopping centre grew by 3.0%. The first quarter of the year therefore proved very successful for the shopping centre industry. In addition to the factors mentioned above, the snowy winter should also be noted, as it extended and strengthened demand for clothing and accessories.
The categories with the highest year-on-year turnover growth in Q1 2026 were:
- Services: +7.8%
- Restaurants and cafés: +6.6%
- Entertainment: +5.8%
- Health and beauty: +5.7%
By size of retail property, turnover and footfall in Q1 2026 were as follows:
| Retail property category by GLA | Turnover | Footfall |
|---|---|---|
| Very large properties, over 60,000 sqm | +5.2% | +1.4% |
| Large properties, 40,000–60,000 sqm | +3.7% | +0.9% |
| Medium-sized properties, 20,000–40,000 sqm | +2.5% | +1.7% |
| Small and very small properties, 5,000–20,000 sqm | +7.3% | +0.3% |
Regionally, the highest turnover growth in Q1 2026 was recorded in the central region, covering the Mazowieckie and Łódzkie voivodeships; the eastern region, covering Podkarpackie, Lubelskie, Podlaskie and Świętokrzyskie; and the north-western region, covering Wielkopolskie, Zachodniopomorskie and Lubuskie. At the level of individual agglomerations, Białystok, Poznań and Katowice stood out in particular.
“The first quarter of 2026 confirms that stationary retail in the shopping centre channel is in good condition. Since April last year, turnover in retail properties has been higher every month — with the exception of November — than in the corresponding month of the previous year, while footfall has remained stable. This proves that the sector continues to enjoy customer trust. Customers remain attached to shopping in shopping centres and, moreover, increasingly visit them with a specific purchasing intention. Another stable trend is the strong growth dynamics in services, food and beverage, and entertainment. Customers are looking to satisfy needs that go beyond traditional shopping, and shopping centres are successfully enabling them to do so,” said Bogda Korolczuk, Managing Director of PRCH.
