Country report: Poland – A market that mirrors Western European trends

The Polish pet food market was worth zł4.3 billion (€968M / $1.03B) in the 12 months to August 2023, according to GfK’s Consumer Panel Services. And it’s estimated that the market will increase by between 5% and 7% each year.

Average expenditure

Pet food is expected to move into the top 10 most-purchased products in the fast-moving consumer goods category by 2028. Annual cat owner expenditure is higher than the amount spent by dog owners, reaching zł438 (€99 / $105) and zł311 (€70 / $74) respectively between September 2022 and August 2023.

According to recent updates in GfK data accessed by PETS International, wet food is by far the most popular category. And Polish pet owners are most likely to buy pet food packages of under 5 kg, although larger ones have also been gaining popularity recently.

“A significant part of the purchased volume is products in packages of up to 100 g, which for most cats is the equivalent of 1 meal. Products of this type account for more than half of the value of purchased cat food,” says GfK consultant Jakub Dubniak.

Biggest players

The Polish pet food sector is dominated by the multinational giants Mars and Nestlé, followed by an assortment of private label operators, including supermarket chains Biedronka, Lidl and Auchan.

Drugstores also play an important role in the country’s pet retailing landscape, as they offer small packages, especially cat food. German drugstore chain dm, active in Poland since 2022, recently said that its own brand ‘Dein Bestes’ is doing extremely well. The retailer told local media that around 75% of its total pet category turnover comes from this private label.