The length and features of basic stages of the process of adopting innovations depend on characteristics of potential buyers, i.e. innovators, early adopters, early majority, late majority and laggards. For Polish consumers new products provide a particularly strong incentive for making purchase decisions. This finds its reflection in the applicable diffusion of innovation models, differing from the model proposed by E.M. Rogers in terms of the much higher participation of innovators and early adopters, although that feature largely depends of the product’s nature. The diffusion of innovation process is conditioned by individual features of adopters, i.e. socio-demographic, personality-related and economic ones. The changes that occurred in 1995-2001 point to a decline in the share of consumers making up the early majority, accompanied by a rise in the share of laggards. This is an indication of a weakening of the readiness for adoption of new products. The attitudes of Poles towards global products have also been examined. In this context, consumer ethnocentrism being present on the food market has been pointed out. In the case of non-food global products there is a large share of indifferent attitudes, which may result from Polish consumers’ distrust and their cautious attitude towards consumption patterns promoted by firms applying global strategies. Higher levels of consumers’ education and incomes, as well as their living in urban areas add to their propensity to buy innovations.