The evolution of retail trade in Poland following economic transformation

Purpose: The article aims to present the development of the retail trade sector in Poland after the economic transformation and to identify the key stages of this development from 1990 to 2021. Additionally, the article will explore the changes seen at the regional level, focusing on specific years. Design/methodology/approach: The article begins by explaining the terminology and types of trade. It then describes the five stages of retail trade development in Poland from 1990 to 2021. The third section of the article analyzes the changes in trade by region in the years 2010 and 2021. The methods used in this article includes desk research and statistical analysis. Desk research involves a thorough review and analysis of relevant literature, industry reports, and legal acts, outlined in the literature section. Statistical analysis uses data from Statistics Poland (GUS) and involves a process of inference. The research is based on statistical data from the GUS Local Data Bank and industry publications. The study covers 16 voivodships in Poland with a time frame from 1990 to 2021. Findings: The study revealed significant regional variations in the Polish retail trade sector, which has experienced notable growth at specific stages throughout its development. The most important factors influencing the differentiation of trade at the voivodship level have been outlined. Research limitations/implications: The subject of the development of retail trade in Poland since the advent of the market economy, which encompasses the processes of concentration and diversification of trade formats in functional-spatial terms, is seldom addressed in scientific research. This represents a significant research gap that requires further investigation. Practical implications: The retail trade sector is experiencing rapid growth in Poland. The intensifying competitive landscape and integration processes are driving the modernisation and organisation of retail trade networks, a trend that is also evident in traditional small-scale trade. New forms of trade are emerging, and the implementation of increasingly modern information and communication technologies is becoming more prevalent. The strategies of big-box stores are undergoing a transformation, with an investment in smaller retail outlets in smaller cities and a reimagining of the concepts of their outlets in big cities. Originality/value: The findings of the research have implications for both cognitive and pragmatic aspects, particularly in the context of further development of the retail trade and the planning of additional retail outlets across various regions of the country. This research represents the initial phase of a larger investigation, the objective of which is to develop a ranking of the voivodships based on the TOPSIS linear ordering method.