Polish consumers buy more TVs, home theatres and computers than other audio/video devices or household appliances. Increasingly, such purchases are made online.

The research carried out by Research PMR has shown that Poles make plans to buy household appliances and audio/video devices when the models they are currently using break. Large purchases are planned in advance, as an average Polish family cannot afford many expenses of this kind during the year.

In only 15% of our respondents had plans to purchase household appliances, while a year later the percentage increased to 38%. The situation was similar for audio/video devices – In 15% of consumers intended to buy such items, but in the share rose to 27%.



What is missing in the kitchen?

In most people with plans to buy household appliances intended to get a washing machine (22%), a cooker (18%), or a fridge (17%). In next place were microwaves, food processors and dishwashers, i.e. appliances we can consider additional kitchen equipment, within the reach of wealthier consumers.

Plans for are less defined – nearly 47% of respondents who are definitely going to purchase household items do not yet know what exactly it is going to be. Those that have already decided are planning to buy a fridge (20%), a washing machine (13%) or a dishwasher (8%). The least popular items are toasters, ovens and cooker hoods. Dishwashers are becoming increasingly popular in Polish households – according to the data of GUS for, they can be found in 15.7% of Polish households, and if plans for are put into practice, the percentage is bound to grow.




What audio/video devices to we need?

Data collected by Research PMR shows that despite the forecasted economic crisis 15% of Polish consumers had plans to buy audio and video devices In while a year later the percentage grew to 27%. The devices in greatest demand were televisions sets, home theatres and computers.

In 18% of respondents intending to purchase new devices declared the need to buy a new LCD television, 18% were considering the purchase of a plasma TV, and others – a new laptop (8%), LED television (8%) and a home theatre set (6%). In respondents planning to buy audio/video devices declared plans to get a plasma TV (17%), an LCD television (14%), a laptop (9%) and an LED TV set (6%).

The least popular categories were DVD players, audio devices and digital cameras. As smaller purchases, they do not always require planning in advance.




Polish households increasingly modern

According to GUS, Polish households are changing in favour of technologically advanced appliances. Since the number of computers with internet access has increased twelvefold, and there are nine times more dishwashers. The differences between the wealthiest and poorest households reach 16% in terms of the number of computers with internet access, and up to 21% for plasma or LCD television sets.

In the area of household appliance purchases, the biggest growth change has been observed in the countryside. According to Research PMR respondents living in the country intended to buy mainly white goods (most of all washing machines and fridges at the end of, as well as cookers and dishwashers in). Respondents with smallest plans to buy household appliances in were those living in cities with over 500,000 in population.

Young consumers prefer audio/video devices to household appliances

According to Research PMR, people aged 18–24 practically did not intend to buy household appliances in (90%). Also pensioners had no big plans. Nothing suggests that the tendency should change.

However, in terms of audio/video devices, the plans of the 18 to 24 year olds included purchases of various models of television sets, but most of all new laptops – 32% declared such plans in (of all respondents with definite plans for).

More audio/video devices purchased online

32% of consumers who shop online declare that they buy household appliances or audio/video devices on the internet at least once a year, according to other findings of Research PMR. In the question about products purchased online (in both e- stores and at auctions), electronics, computers and photographic equipment were the second (after clothes) most popular category of products purchased online by Polish consumers (with 24%). In third place were household appliances, radios and TVs and furniture (with 18% of online shoppers).

The nationwide consumer survey was carried out by Research PMR in October on a representative sample of 1,000 adult Poles. Estimation error reached around 3%.