RETAIL TRADE IN POLAND. PART 1: THE CONSOLIDATION, AS THE LEADING ASPECT OF THE EVOLUTION OF THE TRADE

Abstract

Identify the key factors influencing the state and condition of the retail trade in Poland and the changes that have occurred in the market structure in the last several years, were the aim of the paper. An analysis of the potential of the Polish retail trade show that its distinctive feature was the growing sales while at the same time decreasing its dynamics in recent years. The current situation of the retail trade is resulting largely initiated in years 90 of last century of privatization and restructuring processes, the consequences of which revealed in the area of trade activities, as well as in market structure. Consolidation can be considered as the most important phenomenon of the transformation of retail trade in Poland. A visible manifestation of consolidation was the increasing market concentration (the dominance of large stores in the sales value) and the increasing importance of traditional shops associated with the changing model of consumer behavior and joining stores to the retailers franchise network.