According to the research conducted by UCE RESEARCH and the BLIX Group, more than half of Poles plan to reduce purchasing expenses in the first quarter of this year. According to the report, there are 10 percentage points of such declarations more than a year ago. So the consumer mood is much worse. The main reason for the restrictions is the constant rise in prices. This is what 71 percent of respondents say. And more importantly, the group of these people increased by over 32 pp. In addition, it can be seen that most compatriots announce cuts by an average of 10-15 percent. The savings will mainly cover sweets and snacks, alcoholic beverages, and cosmetics.

“Poles know that they cannot be sure what their income will be and the prices of various products. Most households do not have large savings. This uncertainty makes it a natural option to cut back on expenses. The increase from 44.8 percent to 54.8 percent is moderate and shows that even more people may decide to limit their purchasing expenses,” prof. Stanisław Gomułka, a chief economist of BCC and former deputy minister of finance, said.

As noted by Dr. Krzysztof Łuczak, co-author of the study from the BLIX Group, consumers have been feeling financial uncertainty for many months, which is confirmed by the high rate of willingness to save. The latest 10 pp increase is a clear signal to the market that Poles' purchasing decisions will change. However, no drastic reduction in consumption is to be expected. In the expert's opinion, shoppers will look for the same goods as before, only at the lowest prices.

(WBJ)