Polish shopping baskets cost over 23 PLN more in March, with Auchan remaining the cheapest and Biedronka implementing the largest price reductions of the month.
Shopping Basket Costs Rise
The average shopping basket in March reached 338.21 PLN, a 1.11% increase from February and a 7.43% increase year-over-year, according to an analysis by ASM SFA published Friday.
Price increases affected 12 of the 13 retail chains analyzed over the year.
Year-on-Year and Monthly Changes
In March, the average shopping basket in selected chains increased by 23.38 PLN compared to 314.83 PLN in March 2025. Twelve of the thirteen analyzed retail chains experienced annual price increases.
Compared to February, eight chains saw price increases, while the remaining five experienced price decreases for the products analyzed.
Where to Find the Cheapest Basket
The cheapest shopping basket in March was found at Auchan, averaging 293.59 PLN – 1.24 PLN less than in February. Auchan was the only chain offering the analyzed product set for under 300 PLN.
Makro Cash & Carry (23.59 PLN more) and Dino (43.09 PLN more) ranked second and third, respectively.
Price Disparity Between Chains
The most expensive basket was found at POLOmarket, costing 361.20 PLN. The difference between the cheapest and most expensive chain in the comparison was 23.03%.
Price Range Based on Lowest and Highest Prices
A basket based on the lowest reported prices across all locations would have cost 254.64 PLN (7.62 PLN more than in February), while a basket based on the highest prices would have cost 399.66 PLN (3.49 PLN less than in February).
The difference between the cheapest and most expensive basket in March 2026 was 145.02 PLN, 11.11 PLN less than in February.
Fastest Price Increases and Decreases
Selgros Cash & Carry recorded the largest month-over-month increase in average basket price, at 6.94%. Biedronka saw the largest decrease, at 3.5%.
Year-over-year, Selgros Cash & Carry experienced the largest basket value increase (11.66%), with “significant increases” also observed at Carrefour (10.37%) and POLOmarket (10.28%). Netto was the only chain to see a decrease, at 0.5%.
Shopping Costs by Retail Format
In March, the cheapest purchases were made in hypermarkets, with a basket costing 330.36 PLN. Cash & Carry stores averaged 333.05 PLN, while discounters averaged 343.37 PLN. Supermarkets offered the most expensive purchases, at 345.25 PLN.
Price Stabilization Expected
“The March data confirms that price pressure in retail remains evident, although its dynamics are more orderly than a few quarters ago. A 7% increase in basket value year-on-year, combined with a narrowing of the price gap between the cheapest and most expensive offers, indicates a gradual alignment of pricing policies and increasing competition for price-sensitive customers,” said Kamil Kruk of ASM SFA.
He added that increases in most chains show that cost factors – particularly fuel and food prices – are still being passed on to consumers. He expects price growth to stabilize in the coming months, but not to decrease.
Overall Price Increases in March 2026
According to data from GUS cited in the report, consumer goods and services prices in March 2026 increased by 3% compared to the same month last year, and by 1.1% compared to the previous month. Experts attribute the price increases to rising fuel and food costs.
Methodology
The Koszyk Zakupowy (Shopping Basket) study analyzed the prices of a sample basket containing the most popular items from categories including dairy, meat, cold cuts and fish, household chemicals, cosmetics, fruits and vegetables, fats, and others. ASM SFA tracks the prices of the same 40 products in 13 retail chains, both in traditional stores and online.