Retail parks are evolving from purely shopping destinations into local hubs for everyday needs – from visiting service outlets to shopping and leisure. According to the latest report from Cushman & Wakefield Poland, regular visits to retail parks are common among Poles under 40, with 76% shopping there at least once a week. This trend is particularly pronounced in county (poviat) cities and towns with populations below 50,000, where retail parks attract significantly more regular visitors from wider catchment areas than those in larger cities.
Evolution of functions: Leisure and prospects for F&B operators
Consumers do not divide their day into fixed, separate categories such as shopping, health, physical activity or family time. They expect to be able to take care of several errands nearby and seamlessly, without unnecessary hassle. For fitness clubs and children’s play areas, retail parks provide a natural environment, as they generate repeat visits. Customers return not because they have run out of a particular food product, but because they have developed a regular weekly habit. In 2025 alone, we signed 112 lease agreements for new locations, nearly 80 per cent of which were in retail parks. This confirms the continued strength of this trend,”
says Filip Puchalski, Commercial Director at Xtreme Brands (Xtreme Fitness Gyms and Xtreme KiDS).
Retail parks operate completely differently from traditional shopping centres, and this directly influences their food and beverage offer. Visits to retail parks tend to be short, purpose-driven and focused on quick shopping. With no internal passages or shared food court areas, traditional restaurants in retail parks are relatively rare and are found almost exclusively in dominant schemes in the largest cities. Although retail parks attract tenants with very competitive rents – prime rents average EUR 19.5 per sqm, compared with EUR 180 per sqm in the best-in-class shopping centres – short dwell times remain a barrier to traditional F&B concepts. Any further F&B development will therefore depend on the location of the retail park and will be closely linked to the introduction of leisure amenities such as gyms and play areas. By extending dwell times, these amenities could create a stronger economic case for new F&B facilities in the future,”
comments Michał Masztakowski, Head of Retail Agency, Cushman & Wakefield
Poland’s local markets: A different understanding of distance and competition
Operating in local markets requires a different approach from that taken in large cities. In Warsaw, consumers expect retail stores and service outlets to be within five minutes of their homes. In smaller towns, however, a 15- or 20-minute drive to shop or work out elsewhere within the county is not an issue. Retail parks are therefore evolving from places for quick shopping into local hubs for everyday life,”
says Ada Budynek, Retail Leasing Manager, Associate, Cushman & Wakefield.
About Cushman & Wakefield
Cushman & Wakefield (NYSE: CWK) is a leading global commercial real estate services firm for occupiers and investors with approximately 53,000 employees in over 350 offices and nearly 60 countries. In 2025, the firm reported revenue of $10.3 billion across its core service lines of Services, Leasing, Capital markets, and Valuation and other. Built around the belief that Better never settles, the firm receives numerous industry and business accolades for its award-winning culture. For additional information, visit www.cushmanwakefield.com.