People choose more, have smaller bags. The golden days of shopping in Poland are over

While there are cars parked at the well-known gas station in Chalupky, Poland, without the earlier frequent queues, the parking lots at the market in neighboring Zabełków are full as always.

“There are about the same number of people as before, but you can see that they are buying less. They make more choices, they carry smaller bags,” observes a security guard at one of the parking lots of the change in the behavior of Czech customers in recent weeks.

The reason is clear. The prices of the merchants there are no longer significantly different from those of the Czech Republic as in previous months, so that it is worthwhile to travel here from a greater distance.

“It’s not like before, you have to choose more, the prices have gone up, especially for meat,” describes the present, 72-year-old Marie from nearby Bohumín. “But we’ve got a bit of it here, so it’s still worth it.”

But not everyone leaves satisfied, which did not happen so often before. “I didn’t buy anything here, it’s expensive here, a useless trip,” answered the question of a man returning from the market with an empty bag. He did not want to say why he had come to Zabełków.

But the price tags in the stores speak clearly. Especially in those with vegetables, they are not very different from the Czech ones. The only exception was bush tomatoes, which are sold at the market in Zabełków for 39 crowns per kilogram.

But the other prices are not so favorable. Early cabbage is 49 crowns per piece, parsley is even 62 crowns per kilogram, celery is 40. Perhaps only onions for 25 crowns are somewhat better than in Czech supermarkets.

Even meat is no longer a big win

Here, however, Czech farmers, for example the Luční dvůr farm in Bartošovice in Novojičín, sell even for just eight crowns per kilogram, the chains allegedly reject their produce.

For somewhat better prices, Polish market traders offered, for example, strawberries. While those in Poland were sold for 70 crowns per kilogram, in the Czech Kaufland there was an event on the same day offering strawberries for 80 crowns per kilogram, but with a fifty percent discount.

Things are a little better in Poland with the prices of some types of meat. “We have mackerel for 145 crowns per kilogram, chicken legs for 52 crowns,” explained the prices of a saleswoman in one of the several meat shops at the Zabełków market.

Even here, it’s not a big win. Chicken thighs for 52 crowns per kilogram or boneless chicken cutlets for 119 crowns are also often available at special prices in Czech stores, sometimes they are even cheaper.

The zloty is already worth six crowns

“It’s the same as ever, the weather has a lot to do with it,” commented one of the saleswomen on the current life at the market. “In addition, the Polish zloty strengthened against the crown. I have simply experienced better times here.’

The movement of the zloty against the crown, which during the year strengthened from approximately five crowns to six zlotys, was also clearly reflected in the popular shopping duel of Czech customers, the purchase of food and gasoline.

After the change of Polish government in the autumn, with the previous one keeping prices more than low before the election, prices increased significantly and the strengthening zloty added another blow to purchases.

While Natural 95 gasoline cost 6.59 zlotys at the gas station in Chalupky on Saturday, roughly 39.50 in conversion, gasoline was sold for 38.90 CZK at the Ono gas station, one of the cheapest in the country, on the same day.