Since the end of comunism era a lot has changed in Poland - that is an obvious fact. In last couple of years huge shopping centres became something natural for every big city's inhabitants. Four cities, four great shopping centres - for you to choose the best one.

Lodz
Manufaktura in Lodz is the biggest shopping centre in the whole Poland at the moment  (check for flights from Stansted).
With 270 000 square meters area, it includes newly renowated, astonishing buildings of previous textile factories. The complex belonged to Izrael Poznanski, one of the establishers of Lodz textile industry. Next to the factories he had his palace build - it is a Museum of Lodz now. On the opposite side of the road, blocks of flats for his workers. It used to be city within the city.
As for the centre itself, now it contains 400 shops, from small ones to the huge hipermarkets belonging to chain retailers.
You can buy everything here from food, textiles, through gifts and beauty products to interior decorations and electronics.
You are really spoiled with choice as it comes to brands: H&M, Geant, MediaMarkt, Diesel, Levis, a lot of home brands: Carry, Apart,  Inglot, Tatuum, Prochnik, whose quality is widely recognized.
Business hours:
Shopping Centre
Monday - Saturday 10:00am - 10:00pm  Sunday 10:00am - 9:00pm
Geant
Monday - Saturday 09:00am - 10:00pm  Sunday 09:00am - 9:00pm
Leroy Merlin
Monday - Saturday 08:00am - 9:30pm  Sunday 9:00am - 9:00pm
Food court
Monday - Saturday 10:00am - 10:00pm  Sunday 10:00am - 9:00pm
Rynek - Restaurants all week 11:00am - 11.00pm/last guest
Rynek - Shops
Monday - Saturday 10:00am - 10:00pm  Sunday 10:00am - 9:00pm
Cinema all week 9:30am - 10.45pm
As for the enterntainment, Manufaktura offers: 15 screens mvie centre, Imax 3D cinema, climbing wall, bowling alley, fitness centre, numerous restaurants, pubs and soon also to the disco "Elektrownia". The huge inner square is used for concerts and events. For the guests who want to stay as close as possible to Manufaktura the hotel will be soon provided inside the premises.

Krakow
The newest shopping centre was opened on 28.09.2006 just 5 minutes from the main Market Square in Krakow. (flights from Stansed, Gatwick, Bristol, Manchester, Liverpool, Edinburgh, Glasgow)
Galeria Krakowska (Krakowska Gallery) contains 270 shops and brands such as for instance: Zara, MaxMara, Versace, H&M, Inglot and hundreds more. Galeria was build where the old bus station used to be located, just in the hart of the city. You can get there by bus, but the easiest way for those who fly over is to catch the train from the airport. The entrance to the shops is straight from the station. From the gallery you may walk to the nearest hotels in less than 10 minutes. The location is really the biggest advantage of Galeria Krakowska.
Business hours:
Monday to Friday 9am - 10pm
Sunday 10am - 9pm.

Warsaw
Arkadia calls itself the biggest shopping centre, but it contains "only" 230 shops. Inside shops are located according to the main theme, so you will find there World of Fasion: H&M, M&S, Lacoste, Reserved, Child's Wolrd: Endo, 5-10-15, Health and Beauty with medical centre and pharmacies and again hundreds of other opptions.
Centrum Handlowe Arkadia: Al. Jana Pawla II 82.
Business hours:
Shopping centre
Monday - Saturday: 10:00am - 10am:00, Sunday: 10:00am - 9:00pm
Carrefour
Monday - Saturday: 8:30am - 11:00pm, Sunday: 9:00am - 9:00pm
Cinema City
Monday - Sunday: 10:00am - 11pm

Poznan
Another beautiful and the only one of the kind is the shopping centre in Poznan. (check for flights from Lierpool, Luton and Stansted)  Like Manufaktura, its premises are very old and very special. The implementation of the Stary Browar
investment was the result of the revitalisation of the former Hugger Brothers' Brewery,
an estate over one hundred years old, the beginnings of which date back to 1844 when Amrosius Hugger, a brewer from Wirtembergia in Germany,
settled in Poznań.
The official opening took place in November 2003 and the year after the Courtyard of Art was opened.
Wittchen, Mexx, Swarovski, Wallis, Samsonite, River Island,
Stary Browar is located on the corner of Półwiejska Street and Kościuszki Street.
Business hours:
Monday – Saturday: 9 am – 9 pm (the Piotr i Paweł supermarket: 8 am - 10 pm)
Sunday: 10 am – 8 pm (the Piotr i Paweł supermarket: 9 am – 9 pm)
both the national coach and train stations are a mere 10 minutes' walk away,
while Poznań airport is just a 20-minute drive away.

I hope while your visit in Poland you will find at least few hours to loose yourself into a great shopping spree! Enjoy the lower prices, just mind the luggage limits!
Justyna Staszek