Retail transformation in the Eastern European countries

Abstract

In the last two decades, the retail scene in the Eastern European countries has witnessed major changes due to the transformation of the economic system. The collapse of the communist system and the irruption of capitalism meant the creation of a new retail structure, emulating Western European countries. Many Western European retail distributors understood this economic change as a good opportunity for their businesses and in a short time they bought up the market of commercial distribution. However, the suddenness of this transformation has also provoked the creation of two shopping circuits, the Polish net of commercial spaces and the international retail net. In this seminar, I would like to analyse the retail scene in these countries and to think about the repercussions of the new retail structure in the Eastern European cities.