Biedronka is today one of the most popular store chains in Poland, but its beginnings were as dynamic as they were surprising. Biedronka is not just a store – it is a symbol of social and economic changes in Poland. The chain sets trends, shapes shopping habits and introduces innovations that change the retail market. Its development shows how Poland has changed over the last 30 years.
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As the chain informs on its website, the first store was opened in 1995 in Poznań. Some sources indicate that the first store was actually established in Śrem. Regardless of the order in which it was created, it is certain that in the times when bazaars and small shops dominated, the discount store format was new.
The first Biedronka chain store in Poznań
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Biedronka / Ladybug
The model for the first Biedronka, which was to be the first large-format supermarket in the country, were Western discount chains. Biedronka quickly gained popularity thanks to its low prices and convenient location.
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The founder of the first stores was Mariusz Świtalski, the owner of Elektromis. As “Głos Wielkopolski” explains, in April 1995, when the second Biedronka was opened, negotiations regarding the purchase of the Eurocash wholesaler from Mariusz Świtalski by Jerónimo Martins ended.
It was then that Alexandre Soares dos Santos, a Portuguese billionaire and the then head of Jerónimo Martins, in an informal conversation with Świtalski, allegedly declared that he would buy Biedronka when it had at least 200 stores.
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The defining moment for Biedronka's existence occurred less than three years after the opening of the first store. At that time, there were as many as 243 branches in the country. In 1997, when the Portuguese company Jerónimo Martins took over the chain, the brand began to develop dynamically. Since then, the number of Biedronka stores has been growing rapidly.
The interior of one of the first Biedronka stores in Poland
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Biedronka / Ladybug
Biedronka has changed the way of shopping. Poles began to buy closer to home more often, and the offer became available to all social groups. Thematic weeks and premium products introduced new tastes, and the quick response to trends – such as ready meals or online shopping – maintained the leading position.
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“Biedronka is a Polish retail concept, created and developed by Poles, taking into account local conditions and needs of Polish consumers from the very beginning,” emphasized Luis Araújo, president of Biedronka, in an interview for “Puls Biznesu”.
The chain focused on its own brands, which quickly gained the trust of customers. The stores have undergone modernization, and Biedronka itself is also developing digital solutions. As a result
