Analysis · Market and data

How Poles buy supplements: channels and habits

A foreign brand can have the right product for Poland and still fail on the route to the customer. Polish shoppers split their supplement purchases across pharmacies, drugstores and online, pay differently and expect delivery differently. Here is how the channels work, with the data behind them.

Published 23 September 2026Reading time 9 minAuthor

Short answer

Poles still buy most supplements in pharmacies, but online already accounts for roughly 23-30% of value (2023-2025 estimates). In 2025, 78% of Polish internet users shopped online, 72% paid with BLIK and 83% chose parcel lockers most often (Gemius). Price is a purchase factor for 50% of supplement buyers, and 30% consider influencer recommendations.

The channel map in one table

ChannelRoleWhat the data saysSource
Stationary pharmaciesLargest channel, trust and advice11,000 general pharmacies and 1,100 pharmacy points at end-2025. 95% of OTC buyers used one at least once in 2021GUS via Puls Medycyny, WK, 2023
Pharmacy chainsConcentrated buying powerDOZ 20%, Apteka Słoneczna 15%, Gemini 13%, Dr.Max 9%, Super-Pharm 6%, ZIKO 5% in PMR's 2024 OTC reportWK on PMR, 2025
Online (pharmacies, marketplaces, DTC)Fastest-growingMore than 23% of supplement value in 2023; about 30% in 2025 estimates. 36% of Poles bought supplements online in 2023XYZ.pl, ŚPF, MFAT
Drugstore chainsImpulse, beauty-from-within, private labelRossmann (43%) and Hebe (28%) lead spontaneous awareness among beauty retailersGemius, 2025
Supermarkets and otherBasic vitamins, low priceAmong those buying outside pharmacies in 2021, about 80% used supermarkets, 27% petrol stationsWK, 2023
Social mediaDiscovery, not checkout30% consider influencer advice for medicines and supplements; 19% of e-shoppers buy via social mediaWK, 2025, Gemius via Przelewy24

The pattern is clear: pharmacy for trust, online for price and range, drugstore for convenience and impulse, social media for discovery. Most Polish buyers use more than one of these in a year, which is why a single-channel plan rarely scales.

The channels also differ in what they demand from you. Pharmacy chains and drugstores expect a listing fee or promotional budget, a clear sell-out plan and a full Polish label from the first pallet. Marketplaces and online pharmacies are faster to open but punish slow stock replenishment and weak reviews. Your own store is the easiest to launch and the hardest to fill with traffic. The table above is a map of where Polish money goes, not a ranking of where a foreign brand should start.

It also helps to separate the place of discovery from the place of purchase. A shopper may see a product on TikTok, check its price on Allegro, ask a pharmacist about it and then buy it in an online pharmacy with free delivery to a parcel locker. Each of those touchpoints needs consistent product information, a consistent price logic and compliant wording.

Pharmacies and online pharmacies

The Polish pharmacy network is dense but shrinking: at the end of 2025 there were about 11,000 general pharmacies and 1,100 pharmacy points, with general pharmacies down 1.8% year on year (GUS data via Puls Medycyny). Chains hold the buying power. In PMR's 2024 OTC report, DOZ, Apteka Słoneczna and Gemini together account for close to half of the chain landscape, while independents remain numerous (Wiadomości Kosmetyczne).

Three features of the pharmacy channel matter to a foreign brand:

  • Pharmacist recommendation is a real driver. 43% of buyers name doctor or pharmacist recommendations as a purchase factor (PMR via Polityka Zdrowotna). Pharmacy staff education is part of the marketing budget.
  • Pharmacy advertising is restricted. Article 94a of the Pharmaceutical Law has banned pharmacy advertising, and authorities treated loyalty programmes and discount vouchers as prohibited. In June 2025 the EU Court of Justice found the total ban disproportionate, and a draft law to replace it with defined limits was awaiting parliament in early 2026 (AJ Law, 2026). Promotions in pharmacies therefore run on price and shelf position more than on loud campaigns.
  • Online pharmacies are the bridge. Platforms run by the large chains, such as DOZ, eZIKO and Cefarm24, carry the pharmacy's credibility into e-commerce (MFAT). Online buyers of OTC products lean towards sports supplements, vitamins, minerals and hair and skin products (PMR via WK).

Drugstores, Allegro and your own store

Drugstore chains such as Rossmann, Hebe and Super-Pharm sell supplements next to cosmetics, which suits beauty-from-within, collagen, hair and skin and everyday vitamins. Rossmann and Hebe lead spontaneous awareness among beauty retailers in Gemius data (Gemius, 2025). Trade press describes supplements moving from pharmacy-only to mainstream FMCG status, with retailers building their own brands (Wiadomości Kosmetyczne, 2026). For a foreign brand this means shelf access comes with private-label competition and promotional calendars you do not control.

Allegro is the leading marketplace in Poland (Gemius via Przelewy24) and the first place many shoppers check a price. For supplements it works as both a sales channel and a price benchmark. Pharmaceutical products are among the top five online purchase categories, bought online by at least half of respondents (Gemius, 2025). We cover the channel in depth in selling supplements on Allegro.

Your own DTC store gives you margin, data and the chance to sell bundles and subscriptions. We found no public Polish data on supplement subscription uptake, and in our experience subscriptions work mainly for daily-use products with a loyal base, not as a launch channel. A Polish DTC store needs Polish-language checkout, local payment methods and pickup-point delivery from day one.

Influencers and social media

Social media is where Polish supplement demand is increasingly created. Wavemaker data cited by Wiadomości Kosmetyczne (2025) shows 30% of internet users consider influencer recommendations when buying medicines and supplements. PMR finds 36% in the 25-34 age group (Rzeczpospolita). Yet only 19% of e-shoppers buy directly through social media (Gemius via Przelewy24). The job of TikTok and Instagram is discovery. The sale usually happens on Allegro, in an online pharmacy or in your own store.

The rules are strict and enforced by two authorities. GIS polices health claims and any suggestion of medicinal properties. UOKiK polices hidden advertising and requires clear labelling of paid content (Wiadomości Kosmetyczne). A draft amendment to the food safety act would add mandatory disclaimers, bans on medical imagery and endorsements by health professionals, and fines of PLN 10,000 to 1,000,000. As of mid-2025 it had not been enacted (Ostrowski i Wspólnicy). Brief creators as if it already applies. More in our guide to influencer marketing for supplements in Poland.

Price, payment and delivery habits

Polish supplement buyers are informed and price-aware:

  • Price is rising as a factor. 50% of buyers name price, up 6 percentage points in a year (PMR via Polityka Zdrowotna). In a separate 2025 consumer survey, 77.2% prioritised composition and 57% price (Świat Przemysłu Farmaceutycznego).
  • Comparison is constant. 65% of Polish online shoppers compare prices on their phone while in a physical store. Attractive pricing motivates 42% and low delivery cost 38% (Gemius, 2025).
  • Mobile first. 82% shop online with a smartphone, 91% among 15-24 year olds (Gemius via Przelewy24).
  • BLIK is the default payment. 72% of e-shoppers use BLIK, the Polish mobile payment system, and 56% use it most often. Quick bank transfers follow at 64%, cards at 43% (Gemius, 2025).
  • Parcel lockers win delivery. 83% of e-shoppers most often choose parcel lockers, while courier delivery fell to 39% from 43% (Gemius, 2025). Supplements fit a locker perfectly: small, light and not urgent.
  • Seasonality is strong. Immunity products peak in autumn and spring (Rynek Zdrowia); some senior supplements peak in December and August (OSOZ).

Checkout without BLIK or without pickup-point delivery loses Polish customers at the last step, however good the product page is.

What this means for a foreign brand

  • Choose one lead channel and one support channel. For most foreign brands that means Allegro or an online pharmacy as the lead, with your DTC store as the support, before a pharmacy chain or drugstore listing.
  • Price from the Polish shelf. Check your category on Allegro and in two online pharmacies before you set a price. Half of buyers are watching it.
  • Build the local checkout. Polish language, BLIK, fast bank transfers, parcel lockers and pickup points. These are hygiene factors, not features.
  • Use creators for discovery, and keep every claim compliant. The label, the product page and the influencer script must all stay within the EU register and match what was submitted with your GIS notification.
  • Plan the calendar. Launch immunity or vitamin products ahead of autumn, not in May.

If you want a channel plan built around your category and price point, start with our market entry report or contact us directly.

Sources

Frequently asked questions

Where do Poles buy supplements most often?
Pharmacies remain the largest channel. In 2021, 95% of OTC buyers bought at least once in a stationary pharmacy, and Grand View Research reports offline channels held the largest revenue share in 2024. Online accounts for roughly 23-30% of supplement value.
How important is online for supplements in Poland?
Very. Estimates put online at more than 23% of supplement value in 2023 and about 30% in 2025. 36% of Poles bought supplements online in 2023, up from 5% in 2016, and PMR expects further gains to 2029.
Which payment methods should a Polish supplement store offer?
BLIK first: 72% of Polish e-shoppers use it and 56% use it most often (Gemius, 2025). Add fast bank transfers, used by 64%, and cards, used by 43%.
How do Poles prefer to receive online orders?
Parcel lockers. In Gemius data for 2025, 83% of e-shoppers most often chose a parcel locker, while courier delivery to the door fell to 39%. Offer lockers and pickup points at checkout.
Do influencers sell supplements in Poland?
They drive discovery. 30% of internet users consider influencer recommendations for medicines and supplements, 36% among 25-34 year olds. Only 19% of e-shoppers buy directly through social media, so the sale usually happens elsewhere.
Can pharmacies in Poland run promotions for my supplement?
Pharmacy advertising has been banned under Article 94a of the Pharmaceutical Law. The EU Court of Justice found the total ban disproportionate in June 2025, and a draft replacement law was pending in early 2026. Check the current rules before planning pharmacy campaigns.

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