Eurocash: 30% of new partners came from other networks

Eurocash is attracting not only independent retailers to its networks, but also entrepreneurs with previous franchise experience. In the first half of 2026, 30% of the group’s new partners came from other franchise systems. This is a significant point for Poland’s franchise sector: network growth includes existing businesses switching brands, not just entrepreneurs starting new ventures.

More than 400 shops across four networks

As the food retail news outlet Portal Spożywczy reported on 26 October, citing information from Eurocash Group, more than 400 shops joined the ABC, Groszek, Euro Sklep and Delikatesy Centrum networks in the first half of 2026. This figure covers those four brands, rather than all of the group’s activity in recruiting shops.

The figures exclude growth in the Gama and Lewiatan networks. They also exclude company-owned shops handed over to franchisees. This distinction matters because Eurocash is pursuing two processes at once: bringing shops into its networks and changing the operating model of some outlets it already owns.

The figure of more than 400 shops joining the networks should therefore not be presented as the number of new openings. It also includes outlets whose owners are switching to a different partnership model. The data show the scale of recruitment, but do not mean that this many new retail locations have opened in Poland.

Experienced franchisees switch partners

According to the group, entrepreneurs previously operating within other franchise systems accounted for 30% of new partners. The remaining 70% covered two categories: independent retailers beginning a partnership with Eurocash and existing partners opening additional shops.

This is a more varied mix than a simple split between newcomers and experienced owners. The partners recruited include entrepreneurs joining a retail network, those changing franchisor and those expanding their business within an existing partnership. Each group enters the arrangement from a different starting point.

It is also important to note what the percentages measure. The 30% share refers to new partners, while the figure of more than 400 refers to shops. It is therefore not possible to use these figures to calculate automatically how many outlets switched from competing systems. Partners and shops are not interchangeable units in this data.

The proportion of entrepreneurs arriving from other networks does not, in itself, explain their decisions either. It shows movement between franchise systems, but is not evidence that any single feature of the offer drove those switches. For the franchise sector, it primarily indicates who is contributing to the growth of the group’s networks.

A combined expansion team and two routes to growth

Eurocash has merged its expansion teams. According to the company, this is intended to improve partner recruitment and tailor its offer more closely to the needs of entrepreneurs and local markets. The organisational change therefore supports the recruitment of shops, rather than focusing solely on handing over company-owned outlets.

Meanwhile, franchisees have already taken over the operation of 103 Delikatesy Centrum shops. The group says this exceeded its expectations, with the number of outlets handed over increasing by more than 30 since the end of July. This process is separate from the more than 400 shops that joined the networks in the first half of the year.

At the Delikatesy Centrum shops being handed over, the entrepreneur takes on day-to-day management. Eurocash remains responsible for supplies and provides business support. A change of operator therefore does not end the shop’s relationship with the group; it changes the division of responsibilities within an ongoing partnership.

Looking at these two routes side by side shows why it is worth distinguishing between recruiting a partner and changing how an existing shop is run when assessing network growth. Both increase the role of local entrepreneurs in Eurocash’s business model, but they describe different developments and cover differently defined groups of outlets.

Shop performance needs context

The group also presented a comparison of shop performance based on implementation of its commercial policy. According to these figures, shops that consistently implemented the specified measures achieved 2.1% higher like-for-like (LFL) sales and recorded 2.9% more transactions than outlets that did not implement them fully.

This is a comparison supplied by Eurocash, not a guarantee of performance for every new partner. It concerns sales and transaction numbers, so it should not be treated as a statement about an entrepreneur’s profit. Nor does it, on its own, explain why franchisees move from other networks.

Practical takeaway: entrepreneurs considering a change of network should compare the support available, their obligations and the economics of the individual shop. Recruitment figures help indicate how active a franchisor is, but they are no substitute for assessing the terms of your own partnership.