Żabka checkout error triggers random discounts, forces store closures across Poland

What happened

On Sunday, 2 August, a technical error in Żabka's promotional mechanism caused random, high discounts to be applied to products at checkout. The glitch, which affected the cash register system, first surfaced after 9:00 and automatically applied discounts of around 10 zł even to small purchases, disrupting normal transactions. Customers also experienced problems with payment processing and the Żappka mobile app. Some franchisees posted about the issue on social media, warning shoppers of the disruption.

“We identified the irregularities and immediately took action to resolve the problem, and technical teams are working to fully restore the system's correct functioning.”

Scale and impact

Reports on Downdetector surged after 9:00, reaching nearly 250 by just after noon and over 260 later in the day. The highest number of complaints came from Poznań, but disruptions were reported in at least eight major cities: Warsaw, Gdańsk, Bydgoszcz, Łódź, Wrocław, Katowice, and Kraków. Faced with mounting losses from the erroneous discounts, some franchisees decided to temporarily close their stores until the issue was resolved.

Company response

Żabka issued a statement around midday confirming the technical error and saying that the problem had been resolved in nearly 90% of its stores by early afternoon. Technical teams continued work in the remaining locations. The company said it was in ongoing contact with franchisees and was assessing the financial impact of the incident. Once the immediate fix is complete, Żabka plans a full analysis of the root cause and will introduce measures to prevent a recurrence.

“We remain in constant contact with franchisees and provide them with current information about the situation. We are also analyzing the scale of the incident's impact on store operations.”

Business context

The disruption occurred against a backdrop of rapid growth for Żabka. In the first six months of 2026, the chain opened 778 new stores in Poland and Romania, bringing its total to nearly 13,100 outlets at the end of June, a 10.8% increase from a year earlier. The company targets more than 1,300 new store openings for the full year. In a separate development, Canadian operator Alimentation Couche-Tard, owner of the Circle K brand, has made an offer to acquire Grupa Żabka for 32 zł per share, valuing the company at 32.62 billion zł. The proposed deal, which would be Couche-Tard's largest acquisition, would preserve the Żabka brand, management, and franchise model, according to Tomasz Blicharski, the future CEO of Grupa Żabka.