Shoppers flock to Poland

The weak zloty makes Poland's borderland an attractive shopping spot for Germans, Slovaks and Lithuanians.

The current exchange rate means a harvest for retailers as the rate of the euro has almost reached five zlotys.

The retail boom in shopping malls close to borders is the flip side of the weak zloty, which saw the government selling euros last week to prop up Poland's vulnerable currency.

Slovaks are coming in droves to Poland to ski but also to indulge in some major bargain hunting. In Poland the majority of retail items are between 20 and 40 percent cheaper than back in Slovakia. Home improvement stores, furniture and furnishings shops are besieged with shoppers from across the southern border.