Our vision
Fair business is a business that creates value sustainably and with respect for the planet. To ensure that our suppliers think the same way, we have implemented Human Rights Policy for Business Partners and The Code of Conduct for Business Partners. However, good collaboration is not only about expectations – it is more about sharing knowledge and inspiring each other. That is why our annual Suppliers Meeting is so important to us and our business partners. The meeting is a platform to share our best practices, collectively discuss our future growth and give us the opportunity to celebrate our partnership. In order to foster sustainable collaboration all year round and effectively share knowledge, we are continually developing our Fair business platform, and we invite all of our suppliers to subscribe.
Our message
Our mission is to create value by making people’s lives easier and by allowing them to free up their time, while promoting sustainable living for everyone, every day. We are aware that achieving this mission is not possible without good cooperation with our business partners. That is why we are developing our Fair business platform – to share best practices, inspire each other, and strive for sustainable development.
In line with our strategic approach to social and environmental responsibility, we incorporate ESG factors into our group’s strategies. We set ambitious goals and achieve them in accordance with our Responsibility Strategy. We encourage our business partners to adopt a similar approach, and the content published on the Fair business platform supports us in these efforts.
What can we improve together
News
Together with business partners for sustainable development - fair business brunch
Effective development of cooperation with our business partners is possible through sharing knowledge and mutual inspiration. That is why we organized the first fair business brunch – a meeting within the fair business platform – thus creating a space for exchanging best practices and discussing common challenges in a select group of our business partners.
In the context of decarbonisation, cooperation is of exceptional importance, especially when it comes to reducing Scope 3 emissions. At Żabka, besides aiming to reduce greenhouse gas emission intensity in stores by 70% in Scope 3 (base year 2020), we also strive to involve our business partners in the fight against climate change. We want to engage 75% of them in setting scientifically validated decarbonisation targets. Therefore, we asked experts from the companies we collaborate with daily and Żabka representatives to present best practices and inspirations in the field of decarbonisation. Representatives from Microsoft, Carlsberg, Stock Spirits, and Maspex shared their experiences with the invited group.
The meeting focused on decarbonisation, but issues of ethical and sustainable supply chains also accompanied the discussions. In this context, particular attention was paid to the Code of Conduct for Żabka Polska Business Partners and the Human Rights Policy for Business Partners. We aim for 100% compliance of our partners with the first of these documents by 2026. To achieve this ambitious goal, we offer our suppliers substantive support and recommend that they undergo ethical audits. By aligning with our Code of Conduct, we can ensure that our partners also create value sustainably and with care for the planet.
We believe that developing further cooperation and joining forces with our partners will allow us to create a fair business together!
GS1 DataMatrix – The next generation barcode driving Żabka’s retail innovation
Żabka has long been a pioneer of new barcode technologies, delivering benefits that include ensuring product freshness at all times, supporting consumer safety, improving inventory management and delivering the product information customers look for.
In 2024 we took a significant step forward when we became the first Polish retailer to roll out the highly advanced GS1 DataMatrix, a cutting-edge two-dimensional barcode that resembles a QR code. Importantly, it achieves exceptional data capacity in a very small format to deliver significant advantages over its one-dimensional predecessors.
According to Marta Urbaniak, Żabka’s Director of Quality and Environmental Management, ‘This built on work we started as long ago as 2018, when we first worked with leading Slovak sandwich producer Pierre Baguette to introduce one-dimensional GS1 barcode technology.’
'That initial work led to immediate advances in terms of efficiency and inventory management, while bringing us an important source of continuous improvement that we’ve been focused on ever since. But it wasn’t perfect – for example, some of our shops and warehouses had problems scanning the barcodes, especially when package surfaces were curved.’
This highlighted the need for an even more advanced, more versatile barcode option that could hold more data. GS1 DataMatrix soon emerged as the ideal choice to investigate further.
The company has therefore been working particularly closely over the last two years on implementation, collaborating with Nowalijka – a leading Polish fruit, vegetable and ready meals company that provides Żabka with a range of fresh-food products. As a result, the two companies have successfully optimised the size of the barcode, making it compact enough to be used on small and curved fresh-food products.
‘We are naturally delighted to have created a more compact barcode option that meets global retail standards,’ Marta Urbaniak continues. ‘But it’s not all about compactness. Other benefits include improved restocking, reduced product unavailability, enhanced data synchronisation, better scanning accuracy and shelf-life management, and streamlined deliveries. It also means we know when to discount products and ensures nothing is sold after expiration – a key aspect of customer safety that also helps reduce food waste.’
Today, more than 12,000 Żabka stores have implemented GS1 DataMatrix, placing the company at the forefront of change. This is well ahead of the goals set for the global retail sector stipulating that all point-of-sale systems must be able to read and process 2D barcodes by the end of 2027.
Żabka’s work with Nowalijka has also been marked by an award at the KOD Innovation Conference, and the company continues to work closely with the GS1 Institute, meeting every quarter as part of the GS1 Working Group.
According to Marta Urbaniak ‘I am particularly pleased that we have now implemented GS1 with some 80% of our refrigerated private label suppliers, covering more than 120 own-brand products. Our focus is now on the next stage in developing this technology – in particular, testing GS1 DigitalLink codes, which will further improve customer communication by redirecting them to a website.’
Radzymin Logistics Centre achieves BREEAM In-Use certification
For Żabka, sustainability is not just a slogan, it’s a genuine commitment. In our Responsibility Strategy, we strive to consider every aspect of the company’s operations, including a sustainable approach to our property portfolio. Our goal is to ensure that buildings are efficiently managed, user-friendly, and have a minimal environmental impact. Following the success of achieving BREEAM New Construction certification during the design and construction phase of the Radzymin Logistics Centre, we set ourselves another ambitious challenge: to confirm that we maintain the highest environmental and technological standards in day-to-day operations.
The BREEAM In-Use certificate is an international proof that a building is managed responsibly and in line with best practices. We wanted to demonstrate that our logistics centre was not only designed with environmental impact in mind but also operates in a way that minimises this impact while ensuring user comfort. It’s the natural ‘life cycle of a building’: from good design to equally good management.
From audit to success – behind the certification
BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method) is an international system for assessing buildings in terms of their environmental impact, user comfort, and management efficiency. The In-Use variant applies to buildings already in operation and examines how they are used, maintained, and modernised on a daily basis.
The BREEAM In-Use certification process covers two key areas:
• Asset Performance – the physical characteristics of the building, its structure and installations.
• Building Management – management practices, procedures, maintenance, and monitoring.
The audit was thorough: it analysed HVAC system efficiency, energy and water consumption, waste management, impact on biodiversity, air quality, acoustics, safety, and even accessibility and user amenities. Additionally, BREEAM requirements include assessing physical risks related to climate change, transition risks towards a low-carbon economy, and social risks. This was not a one-off effort – to maintain and improve the building’s standards in the coming years, we will implement or sustain numerous initiatives, such as regular inspections of smart building management systems (BMS), water-saving programmes, waste segregation, and pro-environmental actions: green plantings to support biodiversity and air quality monitoring. Education and communication with employees also play a key role, as we aim to raise awareness that everyday actions have an environmental impact.
Benefits for everyone – from environment to business The result? The Radzymin Logistics Centre has achieved BREEAM In-Use certification at Excellent level – one of the most prestigious standards for sustainable buildings in the operational phase. This is not only confirmation that our Responsibility Strategy works in practice; the benefits of certification are multi-dimensional:
• Environmental – lower energy and water consumption, improved waste management.
• Business – reduced operating costs, enhanced working comfort, increased property value.
• Strategic – competitive advantage and tangible support for ESG goals, including emissions reduction.
As Łukasz Wierski, Żabka’s Technical Director, emphasises: ‘From the perspective of someone responsible for the technical area in our organisation, I particularly appreciate how demanding and developmental the BREEAM In-Use certification process is. It confirms that consistent technical decisions, operational oversight, and attention to building efficiency translate into real results. Certification strengthens the direction we are pursuing – modern, safe, and sustainable facilities prepared for future challenges.’
Reimagining ready meals together with Hilton Foods
Every day, more than 4.1 million transactions take place in Żabka stores, and we feel a strong responsibility to support our customers in building healthy and sustainable eating habits. That’s why, as part of the “Porcja DobreGO!” initiative, we collaborate with trusted suppliers such as Hilton Foods to create tasty, nutritious, and high-quality ready meals.
As Jakub Malec, Sustainable Food Manager at Żabka, highlights:
‘Our work with the Hilton Foods team is truly unique. Our shared priority is to ensure customers have easy access to balanced meals for any time of day. Thanks to our close cooperation, we can do this even more effectively. Together, we focus on developing new recipes and improving existing ones to better meet the needs of today’s consumers.’
Regularly held workshops involving Żabka’s nutrition experts, the NPD team responsible for new product development, and Hilton Foods representatives allow us to create innovative ready meals based on expert knowledge and the highest quality standards. This process includes ingredient selection, production planning, kitchen and production testing, sensory panels, and nutritional value calculations.
Alongside new product development, we are also engaged in intensive reformulation efforts with Hilton Foods to improve the recipes of existing products. Our goal is for our meals to achieve the highest possible Nutri-Score ratings and meet clean label criteria. Hilton Foods also supports us in ensuring that the ingredients used in our meals are certified in line with our quality and sustainability policies.
An important aspect of our collaboration is inventory management and food waste prevention. Through close coordination with Hilton Foods, we can better plan orders and adjust production to actual demand, minimising waste.
It is through partnerships like this that we can fulfil our mission: promoting a sustainable lifestyle for everyone, every day.
Learn more about SBTi
Żabka Polska is the first company in Poland whose goals for reducing greenhouse gases have been validated by the Science Based Targets initiative. SBTi is a joint, international initiative of CDP (formerly Carbon Disclosure Project), UNGC (United Nations Global Compact), WRI (World Resources Institute) and WWF (World Wildlife Fund).
What is the role of SBTi?
SBTi helps companies determine how much and how quickly they need to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions to be in line with the requirements of the latest climate research. The organization’s primary goal is to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, in accordance with the Paris Agreement of 2015.
Why join SBTi?
Approval of a decarbonization strategy by SBTi is a highly respected commitment in business and is sought by all companies wanting to be a leader in sustainable development in their industry. As a company that wants to minimise its negative impact on the environment, we are constantly looking for solutions to help us do this while also tackling climate change - we are working on reducing energy consumption, looking for low- and zero-emission energy sources, testing innovative green technologies and encouraging our consumers to make planet-friendly choices.
What does the SBTi application process look like?
- Commitment - submission of a letter declaring the intention to set a science-based goal within 2 years of sending the commitment;
- Creation of a decarbonization strategy - in accordance with SBTi criteria;
- Verification - submission of an application and validation of the goal by SBTi;
- Communication - public announcement of goals and informing stakeholders;
- Disclosure - annual publication of the organization’s emissions and progress towards achieving goals.
What are the next steps after validating the goals?
In addition to working on the implementation of the strategy and achieving the goals, it is necessary to monitor the requirements of SBTi, as they are regularly updated and expanded. Examples of significant changes in criteria:
- Change of minimum ambition of goals from ‘well below 2°C’ to 1.5°C which results in, among other things, an increase in the minimum annual emission reduction from scope 1 and 2 to 4.2% per year;
- Inclusion of FLAG (Forest, Land and Agriculture) group emissions in the reporting scope
Significant changes in the way the organization’s emissions are reported should also be confronted with SBTi guidelines, as they may affect the status of goal acceptance:
- Change of allocation of the emission group to another scope;
- Changes in operational control within the organization.
Decarbonisation results against 2023 targets
The Responsibility Strategy of the Żabka Group outlines our aspirations and growth pathways in the ESG sector. Fulfilling the commitments we have adopted necessitates the support of all our employees and partners. Collective dedication has enabled us to effectively tackle the challenges of the past year, as well as seize numerous opportunities. With our daily efforts, we are inching closer to realising the ambitions contained in the Żabka Group's Responsibility Strategy. The results against 2023 targets are as follows:
Scope 1&2 Target
The total Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions summed up to 17 282 tonnes of CO2, which is the highest available KPI score. Thanks to further investment in our vehicle fleet, including replacement vehicles and the implementation of a driver incentive program, we kept our emissions in this area at the same level as last year. This was despite an increase in the number of cars. Our efforts over the past two years to minimize leakage in the refrigeration systems in our distribution centers, and to replace refrigerants with high global warming potential (GWP) value with those of lower GWP, have also reduced our emissions in this area. We have additionally continued our approach of providing 100% renewable electricity in our own operations, using Renewable Energy Guarantees of Origin (REGOs) to demonstrate that it has been generated from renewable sources. By using a fleet of refrigerated vehicles, we have also reduced the use of dry ice in transport. Consequently, our Scope 1 and 2 emissions have decreased by 28.8% compared to the 2020 baseline.
Scope 3 Target (downstream)
Our Scope 3 focus remained on energy-efficiency initiatives. We used closed-air refrigeration systems for beverages in almost 1,200 new stores and zero heating doors in close to 2,000 stores. Both solutions are standard in newly opened stores. In addition, we ensured that 46% of the electricity used in the stores came from renewable sources, not only by purchasing guarantees of origin but also by installing a further 100 PV installations on the roofs of our stores. As a result, the intensity of the Scope 3 emissions from our franchisee's stores fell by 60% from the 2020 base year.
Scope 3 Target (upstream)
As for Scope 3 upstream emissions, the company works closely with its business partners to analyse the carbon footprint of its supply chain under different categories and is continuously reviewing a database to calculate their levels of engagement with decarbonisation. The company’s strategy aims for 75% of its suppliers by expenditure, covering purchased goods and services, to have science-based targets by 2026.
Working together to create innovation as part of Relooped
At Żabka, we are constantly looking for innovations and technologies that will allow us to create convenient and responsible solutions. For this reason, we are delighted to have joined a broad cooperation, involving not only commercial companies, but also scientific institutions. Our common goal is to develop innovative solutions that will serve both our customers and the planet.
As part of our commitment to the RETAIL RELOOPED project, managed by BOFA, we actively cooperate with partners from various sectors - from retail, through the waste industry, to science. We strive to create food packaging that will be not only functional but also environmentally friendly.
This international initiative, supported by funds from the Interreg South Baltic EU program, allows us to actively work on developing new, sustainable solutions. Thanks to the involvement of waste industry institutions, the world of science, but also retail chains, such as Żabka, it is possible to test innovative circular solutions on many levels, also with the active participation of users. As a supporting partner, we will engage our customers in testing innovative packaging in selected network stores, which serve as "living labs".
Our commitment to the RELOOPED project not only emphasizes our innovation, but above all, it is an expression of our responsibility - one of the main values of our company. This cooperation fits into the Żabka Responsibility Strategy, specifically into pillar 04 Green Planet, which assumes active action for sustainable development. We are proud to be part of this initiative, which contributes to building a sustainable future. We believe that through cooperation with other companies and scientific institutions, we can jointly develop solutions that will be good for both our customers and the planet.
Joining forces with Huhtamaki to improve our cups
At Żabka, we pay great attention to complying with the latest environmental requirements and meeting the evolving expectations of our customers. With this in mind, we undertook an ambitious project aimed at reducing the polyethylene content in our cups. This initiative would not have been possible without close cooperation with our supplier, Huhtamaki, a leader in the packaging market.
Our goal was not only to reduce the amount of plastic, but also to increase the recycling possibilities of used cups. These objectives are in line with European standards for eco-design and circular economy, but also with the goals we have set for ourselves as part of our Żabka Group Responsibility Strategy.
The cups available in our stores at coffee machines are made of paper covered with a layer of polyethylene, which prevents leakage. Although standard cups on the market contain from 10 to 15% polyethylene, thanks to Huhtamaki's openness to cooperation for innovation and tests, we managed to reduce this conten below 5%. As a result, our 200 ml cup currently contains 2.62% polyethylene, and the 400 ml cup - 3.0% polyethylene.
Thanks to the reduction of polyethylene, our cups are now more friendly to recycling processes, which is crucial in the context of new regulations, but also our own goals within the Responsibility Strategy. What's more, we managed to achieve this without compromising the quality and functionality of the product.
Our goal is constant improvement and striving for innovation, and achieving these goals in cooperation with our business partners gives us double satisfaction. We believe that thanks to such initiatives, we can actively contribute to building a better future for people and the planet.
Together we can do more
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