- The biggest jump was recorded in the Łódź province. The second place goes to the Masovian Voivodeship, and the third to the Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship. In turn, the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship lost the most, followed by the Podkarpackie and West Pomeranian Voivodeships.
- Moreover, the report showed that from the beginning of January to the end of May this year. number of unique customers above facilities increased by 17.3% y/y. There are 11 voivodeships in the positive and 5 in the negative. The best results can be seen in the following voivodeships: Lower Silesia, Lubusz and Silesia, and the worst – in the Podkarpackie, Warmian-Masurian and Podlaskie voivodeships.
According to a periodically published report by the technology company Proxi.cloud, in the first five months of this year. footfall (traffic) in shopping centers and malls increased by 9.5% compared to the same period last year. According to Mateusz Nowak, one of the co-authors of the study from Proxi.cloud, the decline in the inflation rate contributed to the increase in the number of visits to such facilities . Poles, having additional disposable income, were much more willing to visit such places for consumption purposes.
– The last few months have clearly been favorable for malls and shopping centers. The increase in traffic is probably multifactorial, but it can be assumed that relatively low inflation has improved the mood of Polish consumers. However, this does not automatically mean that they made more purchases – comments Dr. Nikodem Sarna, the second co-author of the study from Proxi.cloud.
In the analyzed period, footfall in shopping centers and malls increased in thirteen voivodeships and decreased in three. The province has the biggest advantage. Łódź Voivodeship (13.6%). It is followed by the Masovian Voivodeship (12%) and the Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship (11.1%). In turn, the following voivodeships were in the red: Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship (-7.3%), Podkarpackie Voivodeship (-5.2%) and West Pomeranian Voivodeship (-3.9%). Dr. Nikodem Sarna emphasizes that understanding the causes of these differences requires additional, in-depth analysis of local markets, including: investments and renovations carried out in each of the above-mentioned voivodeship.
– Looking at the results, it is not surprising that the Masovian Voivodeship is one of the growth leaders, mainly due to Warsaw and the wealth of its entire region. In turn, declines were recorded in voivodeships that often fare quite poorly in economic rankings – adds Mateusz Nowak.
Price stabilization favors shopping malls
The report also showed that in the first five months of this year the number of unique shoppers in shopping centers and malls increased by 17.3% y/y. Dr. Nikodem Sarna warns that this result does not yet indicate an improvement in the financial condition of malls and shopping centers. This can only be verified by the managers of the examined facilities by presenting hard financial data.
– The growth should be positively perceived by the representatives of malls and shopping centers themselves. The low inflation rate in recent months certainly played an important role, as in the case of traffic statistics. Greater price stability, especially compared to last year, encouraged Poles to consume products and services more boldly, which resulted in such a large increase in the number of unique shoppers – argues Mateusz Nowak.
From the beginning of January to the end of May this year. the number of unique customers increased y/y. in eleven voivodeships and decreased in five. Lower Silesia gained the most (11.4%). Also on the podium are the Lubuskie voivodeships (5.4%) and the Silesian voivodeships (4.3%). In turn, the largest declines concern the Podkarpackie Voivodeship (-5.38%), the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship (-3.3%), and the Podlaskie Voivodeship (-3.1%). – I see the reasons for these differences in the wealth of the average resident of a given voivodeship and the financial condition of each region. Of course, this hypothesis requires verification as part of an in-depth analysis, notes Mateusz Nowak.
Fewer visits, but more customers
According to the report, in the first five months of this year the frequency of purchases decreased compared to the same period last year. Recently, the average number of visits to malls and shopping centers per consumer was 12.4, and previously – 13.2.
– This is due to the fact that the number of customers has increased more than the number of visits. Therefore, in the above-mentioned period this year an average consumer could spend slightly less time in malls and shopping centers than a year earlier. It is also possible that new customers lowered the visit statistics. In order to determine the cause, it would be necessary to check whether the declines concern the entire population, or whether new customers, for some reason, spend less time in these establishments than other visitors, explains Dr. Nikodem Sarna.
The report also shows that the average visit duration has shortened year-on-year (from January to May this year – 47:18, a year earlier – 48:16). The average total visit time also decreased (last time – 9:44, previously – 10:26). – In my opinion, the reduction in the average duration of a single visit is unlikely to be noticeable either for customers or retail outlets. The relative stability of this value is proof of the unchangeability of Poles' shopping habits – assures Mateusz Nowak.
As Dr. Nikodem Sarna states, unless there is a market crash, for example in the form of a drastic price jump, further increases in traffic and the number of unique customers can be expected. Alternatively, relative stabilization should be visible. Although the e-commerce sector is developing dynamically, there is no indication that Poles will give up stationary shopping in the near future, especially since orders placed online can also be collected in malls and shopping centers.
– The economic situation in our country will have a key impact on the further development of traffic and the number of unique shoppers in shopping centers. First of all, what will matter is the inflation rate. In this respect, the beginning of this year was definitely better for Poles than the same period last year. If the second half of the year also shows a much lower inflation rate than the previous year, I would expect further increases. However, according to many economists, inflation will go up, but not enough to threaten growth in this sector – summarizes Mateusz Nowak from the technology company Proxi.cloud.
The study was conducted by the technology company Proxi.cloud based on data from the first 5 months of 2024 with reference to the same period in the previous year, excluding holidays and non-trading Sundays. The analysis covers the behavior of consumers visiting malls and shopping centers.
The sample size was over 2,769,320 unique consumers. The subject's entry into the geofence was registered as a customer's visit to a given mall or shopping center when the visit lasted at least 5 minutes and no more than 6 hours. Finally, traffic was examined in over 712 outlets, the locations of which were obtained from the websites of retail chains and Google Maps.
