"Saw Conte in Poland - the price was shocking." Belarusians shared what they bring from Poland, and what they bring back

From Belarus — "Belita", from Poland — Nivea

Olga (names changed) lives in Bialystok and doesn't travel to Belarus herself. But she exchanges parcels with relatives. The woman jokes that it has become like a ritual.

"At first, when I just came to Poland, it was hard for me to switch to Polish products. I was used to the "Belita-Vitex" line — creams, tonics, cleansing foams, shampoos, hair balms. And in every order list, for a while, I asked them to send me exactly these products," Olga says.

Over time, she settled in Poland and was ready to switch to local assortment, but she never managed to give up her usual products.

"Even now, after years, I find something from "Belita" in every parcel. It costs pennies, and even if you take a more expensive, luxury line — it still comes out much cheaper than buying European brands. And in terms of quality, it's not inferior at all. My friend even lives in Dubai, and when she comes to Belarus, she buys whole suitcases of this cosmetics. I don't know what it is — longing for native products, habit, or something else," Olga muses.

To Belarus, the woman traditionally sends Nivea cosmetics. Products of this brand were banned from import back in 2021, so they cannot be found in regular stores.

"Mom always bought cream in a large round blue jar — she used it on both her hands and face. It's very oily, and Mom liked how it moisturized her skin. After these cosmetics disappeared in Belarus, I now always send them from Poland: cream and deodorant for Mom, hygienic lipsticks, shaving foam and aftershave for Dad. In general, a large package of "forbidden" items always gathers. There were never any questions at the border — I think if you're carrying it for personal use, there are no problems," Olga explains.

Before each trip to Belarus — orders on Wildberries

Zhanna has two schoolgirls. There is no mandatory school uniform in Poland, but the woman says that she still tries to adhere to a "more or less formal style."

"The eldest daughter studied in a Belarusian school for the first three years, and her uniform was then inherited by the youngest. You can't throw it away — there are good skirts and blouses there. And if the youngest wears a uniform, then you want to dress the eldest similarly. And, by the way, Polish teachers always note that the girls look tidy and beautiful," Zhanna explains.

Before each trip to Belarus, she places orders on Wildberries — she says it's easier to replenish her daughters' wardrobe with sets they are already used to. In addition, this way the Belarusian saves time: she doesn't have to go shopping in search of the right product.

"Until recently, all goods arrived on time, despite the fact that many warehouses in Russia came under drone attacks. Now I read in Threads that problems are arising: goods either don't arrive or arrive with delays."

But for her little nephew, who lives in Belarus, Zhanna brings clothes from a Polish store.

"For toddlers in Pepco [stores], there are a lot of good clothes at low prices. So I buy them there: bodysuits, sleepers, rompers. My sister says she doesn't want to buy such things in Belarusian "Svitanak". She explains that, to her taste, the models there are not pretty, the color schemes are not very good, and the prices are much higher — for example, a "sweatshirt and rompers" set costs 40 rubles, and in Pepco, for that money, you can buy two, or even three sets," Zhanna says.

However, Polish brand Sinsay stores exist in both Poland and Belarus.

"I noticed that many things in Belarusian Sinsay are cheaper than in Poland. True, the collections are different, and the choice in Poland is greater. But sometimes I go to Belarusian Sinsay if I need to buy T-shirts or shorts for home," Zhanna admits.

From Belarus they bring Mark Formelle, from Poland — Zara

When Nastya lived in Belarus, she always waited for new Mark Formelle lines.

"I liked both the quality of the knitwear and the style. And the prints on the T-shirts were always cool," Nastya recalls.

Now, each of her trips home is accompanied by shopping at the brand store.

"Recently, Belarusians have started to complain about the brand — allegedly, the underwear is not the same, and the prints are not as bold as before. But I still really like it. As soon as I enter the store, I buy pajamas, basic T-shirts, and socks — I collect two or three bags. I keep some for myself, and give some to Polish friends. They, by the way, also like it very much. Especially Conte tights. I have been living in Poland for five years now, and I still only have these tights in my wardrobe. Once I saw Conte at a market in Poland — the price was a bit shocking: they cost something around 25 zlotys. In Belarus, they cost no more than 10 rubles (about 12 zlotys. — Note by Most). Well, I understand that such a price is probably due to logistics," Nastya says.

Her relatives and friends living in Belarus order European brands for themselves: Zara, H&M, Reserved. And she picks up the orders from stores and brings them.

"They usually buy during sales, of course, there are seasonal discounts of 50%. In Belarus, there are almost no such discounts, and the selection in stores there is not the same. So it's a cycle: I bring Belarusian things here [to Poland], and from here — European ones. I still can't understand how it works. For me, it's probably a habit that is hard to give up even after five years of living in Poland. You seem to be used to another country, but you still want to buy what you were used to at home," Nastya says.

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