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Are Supermarkets/Grocery Stores Closed in Poland on Official Government Holidays?

Hi All

My family and I are planning a visit to Krakow and Warsaw in late April/early May, so we will be in Poland on both 01May2024 (May Day) and 03May2024 (Constitution Day). We know that both days will be government holidays and we would like to be well stocked for groceries on those days. So we are wondering if anyone on this Forum can tell us if supermarkets/grocery stores are closed on these two public holidays in Poland, or if they remain open, even if it is for a limited hours. If they are closed, we will plan our trip such that we arrive in town the day before the holiday and stock up on groceries (milk, bread, eggs, etc.). If the stores are open, we will have a bit more flexibility with our schedule.

We are keen to know the answer to this question because we were in Switzerland some years ago and belatedly found out that the grocery stores were closed on official Catholic government holidays. We were caught off-guard and learned a lesson!

Thanks for your help.

Penn

Posted by
244 posts

The only shops that may remain open on Sundays and public holidays are those where owners work themselves and those located at train/bus stations and airports. Supermarkets will definitely be closed. Small family-owned or franchise grocery shops like Żabka, Carrefour Express etc may be open but ultimately it's the owners decision.

The new government is planning to make some changes to relax the ban but it's not known if it will be as early as April/May.

Posted by
92 posts

Thank you very much for your quick response. It is good to know this information as we can plan around it.

With best regards.

Penn