In neighbouring Poland, the attractiveness of finding cheaper food products is declining due to the exchange rate of the zloty and the return of the value added tax (VAT), while banks calculate that Lithuanians spent significantly less there in the first six months of the year, writes the portal "Delfi" on Sunday. 

„Citadele“ bank economist Aleksandr Izgorodin estimates that Lithuanian customers spent EUR 3.7 million in Poland in the first half of this year, compared to EUR 4.6 million at the same time last year.

According to „Swedbank“'s payment card data, in the first seven months of this year, Lithuanians in Poland spent 7% less than in the same period last year. And when the zloty exchange rate is taken into account, Lithuanians' spending on goods and services has fallen by just over a tenth. 

According to Greta Ilekytė, an economist at Swedbank, Lithuanians spent as much as €3 million less in Poland in the first two months of this summer compared to the same period a year ago. 

EEB economist Tadas Povilauskas said that in the first half of this year Lithuanians spent 11% less in Poland than in the same period a year ago. 

He also pointed out that those who go to Poland just to shop often pay with cash they get from exchanging euros for zlotys in Poland, so overall card payments in Poland may only represent a small proportion of total spending. 

„The Poles calculate that in the first quarter Lithuanians in Poland spent 0.7% more in zlotys than a year ago, but in euros this amount was 9.5% more than last year," said T. Povilauskas.