Kondycja polskiego handlu: stan bieżący i perspektywy rozwoju (na podstawie wyników jakościowych badań koniunktury)

In this paper the analysis of the situation of the Polish retail trade enterprises is madę, based on the results of the qualitative business tendency surveys in retail trade conducted by Central Statistical Office sińce October 1993. In this survey four branches of the retail trade are selected i.e. retail sale of food; retail sale of textiles, clothing and footwear; retail sale of furniture, electrical household appliances and radio and television goods; retail sale of motor vehicles. The results are also elaborated for the groups of enterprises classified according to the number of entployees that is for micro, smali, medium and large units. Of all data collected in the business tendency survey, in the analysis the trends of generał climate, sale of goods and financial situation of retail trade units as well as the basie limits to activity of the enterprises are used. The analysis of the business tendency survey results confirms the weak economic situation of the Polish retail trade, especially of the smallest units. The unsatisfactory level of the sale of merchandises worsens the weak financial situation of those enterprises. They are also limited by insufficient demand on merchandises on one side and by excessive competition on the other side. In spite of the generally better situation reported by large firms, they also encounter difficulties in their activity, especially too smali demand on merchandises and too strong competition. In branches the most difficult situation of units selling textiles, clothing and footwear is visible. In the recent years the possibilities of sale of motor vehicles and furniture, electrical household appliances and radio and television goods worsened. The results of the survey for 2002 show evident signals of the improvement of the feelings of the retail trade enterprises’ owners indicating the possibility of the improvement of still very weak economic situation of Polish retail trade.