The idea of putting people and their needs at the centre has guided Żabka’s strategy for over 20 years and is reflected in the mission, vision and values of our organization. That is why at Żabka we are proud not only of our financial results and the expansion of our network. Żabka is first and foremost the people who create it: our employees, co-workers and franchisees. We combine the pursuit of our strategic priorities with taking responsibility for what is important to us and our key stakeholders. In line with our strategy pillars, we focus on sustainable lifestyles, making a positive impact on our surroundings, being responsible for our organization and, ultimately, on everything related to the place where we and future generations will live – a green planet. Serving approximately 2.5 million customers every day, working with nearly 6,000 franchisees and several thousand employees, we have the power as well as the responsibility to change the world for the better with our daily decisions – to create value by simplifying people’s lives.
Anna Grabowska
Vice-President of the Management Board of Żabka Polska for Consumer Strategy/EVP
Last year, when companies faced an unexpected crisis caused by the Sars-Cov-2 coronavirus pandemic, Żabka reacted quickly to the new circumstances. For more than a year of the epidemic in Poland, we have done a lot to make everyday life easier and safer for our key stakeholders – customers, franchisees, employees. The pandemic proved to be an important test for the model in which Żabka Polska operates – franchising. Difficult times have made it more important to have an experienced and proven business partner and to operate in a stable industry. The support of a company that responds flexibly to changing market needs and has the appropriate resources and know-how to take the necessary steps to improve the way it operates has become more important than ever. We are aware that by caring for the development of entrepreneurship and the success of our franchisees, we create new jobs and contribute to the development of local communities and the Polish economy in general. And the quick action taken by Żabka meant that franchisees could run their shops stably. From the 2020 spring lockdown, they could count on the financial support we offered and use these funds to reduce the negative effects of the restrictions on their business. Since the beginning of the pandemic, we have also provided them with personal protective equipment to make both shopkeepers and customers feel safe. We are a responsible neighbour.
During the coronavirus pandemic, we also had no doubt that the prerequisite to effectively deal with this extraordinary situation was joint action for the safety and health of us all. That is why Żabka has been actively involved in helping to combat the effects of the pandemic for over a year. We have already allocated more than PLN 11 million for this purpose, which has been used to purchase, among other things, a modern container CT scanner for the hospital in Gorzów Wielkopolski, 100 top-of-the-range multifunctional mobile ultrasound scanners, a respirator and tests for SARS-CoV-2. In the initial stage, we implemented large-scale aid projects to support the national health service, while in the second stage, we focused on local activities. In total, aid went to more than 200 institutions. As the pandemic continues, we continue to support hospitals and institutions that are on the front line of the fight against coronavirus.
Żabka also takes action to care for the natural environment and supports consumers in making more responsible and sustainable choices. To this end we have, for example, withdrawn plastic bags from shops, fully replacing them with paper bags. We were also the first retail chain to introduce 100% recycled bottles in our own brands (Foodini, Wycisk, S! and OD NOWA), and we placed markings on the packaging of our own brands informing people how to properly segregate them after use. Together with franchisees we collect recyclable materials (last year we collected 12 thousand tonnes of raw materials, i.e. 50% more than in previous years), in selected shops we test the effectiveness of closed-cycle economy for our own brand of water OD NOWA, and at the end of last year we joined forces with Żywiec Zdrój and together we are implementing EKOmats, i.e. vending machines enabling the selective collection of plastic and metal beverage packaging.
In addition, last year we created a unique shop in Warsaw – Żabka’s pro-environmental solutions laboratory, where innovative solutions on a global scale are tested, such as the quantum dot and kinetic floor (there are 20 of them in total, in cooperation with 17 partners). The outlet is powered by energy that comes 100% from renewable sources, primarily solar energy generated by 40 photovoltaic panels and the Wierzcholas wind farm. The shop reduces CO₂ emissions in one month by as much as 300 trees consume in the same period. This action shows that it is a strategic choice for us to test solutions to minimize our impact on the environment. The results achieved since the shop opened can be tracked on the website at: https://www.zabka.pl/zielona-z-natury.
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