A golden moment for Horeca operators in Poland. Wine importers and distributors in major Polish cities are increasing their turnover by up to 40%, thanks to the arrival of new wealthy customers, especially from Ukraine. It is the other side of the war unleashed by Russia. These are, in fact, wealthy emigrants who have chosen to move to Poland while waiting for peace to return to their homeland.
A nearby destination in a country that proved welcoming from the start. This is evidenced by the high number of Ukrainian refugees welcomed by the government led by Mateusz Morawiecki. Approximately 3 million since the start of the conflict.
According to authoritative sources from winemag.it, the sales of premium wines in major Polish cities is a phenomenon that will change the face of the sector. A trend destined to have repercussions on the wine-related ancillary industries in Poland and on the commercial dynamics of the entire Carpathian wine-growing area.
“THEY WALK IN AND ASK FOR CHABLIS: A NEW DEVELOPMENT”
Łukasz Ostrowski handles sales for Wino by Best Selection, a brand of the historic Danish giant Amka Corporate. “In Warsaw,” he explains to winemag.it, “we have seen a real surge in the sale of wines that were in low demand until a few weeks ago. All in the premium and super-premium range.”
It is now a fact that many Ukrainians have arrived in the city, and they certainly have no “wallet” issues. They have very clear ideas. The most frequent requests are for French wines, particularly Chablis.
They know how much they want to spend and what to buy even before entering the wine shop. A very different customer segment from what we are used to in Warsaw, which is focused on inexpensive wines, both Polish and Italian.
Soon, Łukasz Ostrowski will move to another import company, Mielżyński Wine and Spirits in Warsaw. “I expect to see this trend consolidated in the new company as well,” he concludes, “since it is one of the Polish importers of fine wines with the best assortment of international wines.”
KRAKOW LIKE WARSAW: BOOM IN PREMIUM WINES
The city changes but the story remains the same in Poland. Katarzyna Solańska is a journalist, sommelier, wine blogger (K8K.pl), co-owner of Szkoła Sommelierów and Salon Degustacyjny, manager of the WineLAB wine shop in Krakow, and partner of the importer Rafa Wino. She is also vice-president of the Kobiety I Wino – Women & Wine association, the association of Women of Wine in Poland.
“The increase in turnover for the wine shop I manage in Krakow,” she reveals to winemag.it, “is around 40%. This corresponds, in fact, to the percentage of new customers, mostly wealthy, who moved from Ukraine since the early days of the war with Russia.”
The growth also concerns less affluent Ukrainians, who ask for inexpensive wines to use for cooking. In this segment, the most frequent request is for semi-sweet and semi-dry wines, especially entry-level.
The wealthier newcomers, on the other hand, ask for Hungarian and French wines, with particular reference to Burgundy and structured, powerful wines. This is all evident in our shop in the center of Krakow, exactly where many new Ukrainians have settled.”
“A PHENOMENON DESTINED TO CHANGE THE CARPATHIANS”
Much more than a passing phenomenon. “The wine market in Poland will evolve in a completely unexpected way,” confesses Katarzyna Solańska. “It will be necessary to review assortments and include new Ukrainian wine SKUs, which will be increasingly sought after by the new clientele.”
“In recent weeks,” she concludes, “we have been unable, for example, to keep up with the demand for the only Ukrainian wine in our assortment, from the Koblevo-Bayadera Group winery. The wine sells out within hours of the order, and we have to think about countermeasures.”
Michał Solański, CEO of the business consultancy firm Kmc Global Solutions and partner of K8K.pl, is able to confirm to winemag.it the effects of migratory flows from Ukraine to Poland.
Many Ukrainians who moved to Krakow and other Polish cities, such as the capital Warsaw, are trying to quickly convert their previous businesses, which were destroyed or are currently unfeasible in their home country.
“Emblematic,” Solański emphasizes, “is the case of an entrepreneur in the pet-food sector who, at the border between the two countries, transformed his old company into a factory that prepares meals for soldiers. This is certainly a phenomenon destined to change the balance in several countries in the area. Emigrated Ukrainians are not just refugees, but also investors and customers, with capital to circulate in the market.”
