DP Poland’s Q1 2026: double-digit growth, faster deliveries, and more franchising
DP Poland has kicked off 2026 with strong momentum. Group System Sales rose 18.9% year on year on a constant currency basis to £17.2m, with reported growth of 22.7%. Orders were up 13.7% to 1.3 million, helped by targeted promotions and delivery times kept under 30 minutes despite a tough winter.
The store estate kept expanding too. Six new Domino’s stores opened in the quarter, taking the Group to 141 Domino’s stores at period end – 135 in Poland and 6 in Croatia – up 17% year on year. The franchise transition gathered pace, with franchised locations now 35% of the estate, or 47 stores, up sharply from 12% at the end of Q1 2025.
Key Q1 numbers investors should watch
| Metric | Q1 2026 | YoY change | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Group System Sales | £17.2m | +18.9% cc, +22.7% reported | cc – constant currency |
| Group System Orders | 1.3m | +13.7% | Orders across corporate and sub-franchise where applicable |
| Total Domino’s stores | 141 | +17% YoY | 135 Poland, 6 Croatia |
| Franchised locations | 47 | 35% of estate | Up from 12% at end Q1 2025 |
| Pizzeria 105 | 71 locations | n/a | 17 converted to Domino’s since acquisition, 4 in Q1 2026 |
Poland: delivery drives growth, dine-in soft
Poland remains the engine room. Total System Sales reached PLN 78.4m, up 18.2% year on year, with like-for-like (LFL) System Sales up 8.9% to PLN 67.9m. Orders followed suit – total up 13.3% to 1.3m and LFL up 3.9%. Delivery sales climbed 14.2% to PLN 51.7m, while non-delivery fell 5.0% to PLN 16.2m.
In plain English: customers leaned more into delivery, which DP Poland handled well, keeping times below 30 minutes even during winter. The slip in non-delivery suggests dine-in and collection were softer – weather will have played a role – but the overall mix still produced double-digit growth.
Croatia: small but accelerating
Croatia’s contribution is growing from a smaller base. Total System Sales were EUR 1.2m, up 28.8% year on year, with LFL up 9.5%. Orders rose 20.0% on a total basis and 2.0% LFL. The headline growth rate is punchy, and LFL expansion shows underlying progress, though the absolute size remains modest for now.
Franchise-led model gathers speed
Management’s strategy is clear – shift to a franchise-led, capital-light model. Franchised locations now account for 35% of the estate, or 47 sites, and the target is for over 50% of the Domino’s system to be franchised by the end of 2027. The company also flagged further disposals of corporate stores as part of margin improvement plans.
Why it matters: franchising reduces capital intensity and can lift margins, because franchisees fund store-level capex while the Group earns fees and benefits from scale. If executed well, this can smooth cash flows and improve returns on capital.
Pizzeria 105 conversions and a bigger runway
Four more Pizzeria 105 sites were converted to Domino’s in Q1, taking total conversions since acquisition to 17. There are still 71 Pizzeria 105 locations operating. This conversion pipeline is a self-help growth lever for 2026 – it supports the outlook for continued double-digit System Sales growth and increases brand consistency across the network.
Commissary consolidation – efficiencies today, capacity for tomorrow
DP Poland completed the consolidation of its commissaries into a single facility in February 2026. Immediate benefits include lower staffing overheads, higher labour productivity through automation, and savings on rent, utilities and maintenance. The longer-term kicker is capacity to service up to 300 stores, with scope to expand further.
That is a notable strategic asset. If the Group is targeting 200+ stores by the end of 2027, the supply chain is now ahead of the curve, which should support both service levels and margins as volumes rise.
Outlook and what to watch next
- Growth guidance – management expects double-digit System Sales growth to continue through 2026, supported by Pizzeria 105 conversions, store rollout and ongoing LFL growth.
- Franchise mix – the goal is over 50% franchised by end 2027. Watch the pace of corporate disposals and the number of new franchisees signed.
- Margins – improvements are expected from store disposals, supply chain optimisation, automation, disciplined pricing and stronger purchasing power as the network scales.
- Operational KPIs – sub-30-minute delivery times are a competitive edge. Keep an eye on non-delivery recovery as weather normalises.
- Currency – the RNS cites both constant currency and reported growth. FX can swing reported numbers, especially with PLN and EUR translations into sterling.
My take: positives, pressure points, and catalysts
Positives first. The quarter delivered exactly what you want to see at this stage of the plan – double-digit growth in both sales and orders, faster deliveries, more stores, and clear progress on franchising and conversions. The consolidated commissary de-risks the scale-up and should underpin margin gains as volumes build.
Pressure points. Non-delivery softness in Poland (-5.0%) is worth monitoring, even if weather-driven. Croatia’s growth is encouraging but still small in absolute terms. And while franchising should improve returns, the transition requires clean execution on store disposals and franchisee performance.
What could move the needle from here: a steady cadence of Pizzeria 105 conversions, proof of margin expansion flowing from the supply chain changes, and tangible progress toward the 200-store target. If LFL growth holds and delivery times stay sub-30 minutes, the model should compound well.
Quick jargon buster
- System Sales – total retail sales across the network, including corporate and franchised stores. It reflects the customer spend through the system, not just company revenue.
- Like-for-like (LFL) – growth comparing the same stores over the same periods, stripping out the impact of new openings and closures.
- Commissary – the central facility that prepares and supplies dough and other inputs to stores, improving consistency and scale efficiencies.
- Capital-light – a model that requires less company cash to expand, typically by franchising rather than owning stores.
Bottom line
This is a strong Q1 from DP Poland. Sales and orders are growing double digit, the franchise shift is gathering pace, and the supply chain is set up to support a network well beyond today’s 141 Domino’s stores. Execution on franchising and conversions, plus evidence of margin improvement, are the key things to track in the coming quarters.
