The situation beyond the eastern border has caused a much greater influx of Ukrainian citizens to Poland than last year, and thus - the number of Ukrainians in Poland has increased significantly. Our specialists managed to conduct research on this subject and, additionally, extend it to include the topic of visiting shopping malls by Ukrainians.
Increase in the number of people from Ukraine in Poland
Are Ukrainians an opportunity for shopping malls in Poland?
Who are the Ukrainians in Poland?
Even before the military operations in Ukraine, the number of citizens of this country in Poland was systematically growing. However, it is since March this year that we have noticed the largest increase in history. The number of Ukrainians in Poland has increased by nearly 2 million. Below we present the index of the number of Ukrainians in Poland in particular years, until April this year. The base value of the index is 100 as of January 2019.
From January 2019, the index value increased by as much as 280 points. The biggest rebound has been observed since the end of February, which, after a sharp increase in March, continued to increase in April, but at a slower pace. We assume that the upward trend will continue and there will be even more Ukrainian citizens in Poland. On our blog you can also find historical data on the Ukrainian population in the country.
A sudden influx of a large number of people to the country causes a noticeable increase in congestion, especially at stations or in public transport vehicles. Cities, including capital Warsaw, decided to introduce free public transport for Ukrainian citizens. However, does the increased number of Ukrainians in Poland affect shopping malls? We conducted research taking into account seven shopping centers across the country.
The chart shows that the number of Ukrainians in Poland in each of the observed locations has increased compared to the previous year. Noticeably, in as many as 6 out of 7 cases it also increased in April compared to March this year. According to the data of the research, in this period the average number of Ukrainian citizens in shopping malls was 7.2%. It is worth adding, however, that depending on the mall, this percentage ranged from about three to over 11 percent.
Rzeczpospolita in the print edition and online notes that the retail has felt the influx of new customers and their impact on sales, especially of food and chemicals. However, this may only be the beginning of meeting the needs, which is why Ukrainians are an opportunity for both offline and online sellers.
“Based on the data we have collected, it can be seen that shopping malls are not a priority location for people who have recently arrived from Ukraine. In the long-term context, these behaviors will probably change (along with the length of stay in Poland), for which the shopping malls should be prepared now. Therefore, we recommend carrying out proper communication activities so that they reach this potentially large group of recipients " - comments Marcin Augustyniak, Client Director of the Data Tank team at Selectivv.
The Data Tank Selectivv team has also developed profiles of Ukrainian users of mobile devices residing in Poland. Unsurprisingly, the majority are women (59.43% compared to 40.57% men), while the fact that users under 19 are the largest group (more than 42%) is interesting.
When it comes to wealth, the largest group of Ukrainians are people with a good material status (50.7%). This provides another basis for assuming that their importance for retail trade will become more important. Therefore, shopping malls and other sellers could consider communicating their offer so that it would better reach this potentially large group of recipients.
The Selectivv Data Tank team prepared and analyzed large amounts of data about users from Ukraine, which allowed us to create comprehensive research. The research includes, among others, an index going couple of years back, the number of visits to shopping malls, and demographic profiles of mobile users from Ukraine residing in Poland.
Download the report now and see the latest and most accurate data on the market. The data from the report is extensively commented on in the press and nationwide programs, as well as on specialist portals.
