ABSTRACT
A case study of the leading retailer in Poland is aimed to examine various dimensions of Polishness in the communication strategy of a foreign discount chain. For many years, the chain has been highlighting the leading role of Polish suppliers in its supply chain. Unlike its main foreign competitors, Biedronka [EN: Ladybird] operates in the market under a Polish name and strongly stresses its links with regional and national partners. It is also the biggest employer in Poland, and its discount stores are located in immediate proximity to where most Poles live. The process of building a Polish image is enhanced by a long-term sponsorship policy of the Polish national football team. Although the chain does not hide its Portuguese origin, its strategy consists in building strong emotional closeness with most Polish consumers. This is particularly due to the strategy of low prices and wide availability of the offered product range. This strategy favours some sort of new ethnocentrism. It consists in treating the foreign discount chain as more Polish than its foreign competitors. In a situation where there is no Polish leader in retail chain segment of the market, this strategy seems very effective and future-oriented.
