Agnieszka Majorek-Gdula (p)

Krystian Heffner

In recent years, the growing inefficiency of shopping centers has become an increasingly noticeable issue. Once a key element of the functional structure of cities, these centers are now facing significant challenges.
This paper aims to present the findings of a study on the dynamics of commercial and service development transformations in Poland between 2014 and 2024. The analysis examines changes in the spatial extent of commercial and service areas, as well as the directions of their transformation—both in terms of the functions that have replaced them and the areas they have absorbed. Key trends will be highlighted, including the expansion of commercial developments at the expense of green and industrial areas, as well as the reverse phenomenon—the gradual conversion of certain facilities into residential or recreational spaces.
The conducted analysis will provide a deeper understanding of the mechanisms driving changes in urban spatial structures and their impact on socio-economic development.

Krystian Heffner (p)

Anita Szuszkiewicz

Insufficient or declining access to services and trade, especially basic trade, is increasingly becoming a reason for difficulties in the provision of basic products and the declining attractiveness of rural areas for rural residents as well as for the incoming population and often also for the development of the tourism and leisure function. On the one hand, there is a continuous decline in the number of retail food shops in rural areas. On the other hand, the continuous consolidation and spatial concentration of rural groceries and, more broadly, of all retailing, reduces their accessibility.
As a result, this is one of the important causes of gradual depopulation and the related economic, social and infrastructural disadvantages. This increasing restriction of access to both services and trade located externally (transport and communication accessibility) and the decreasing offer of trade located in individual villages is setting in motion processes of marginalisation in many rural regions.
If sustainable retailing is understood as retail organisations undertaking actions to ensure that their operations, manufacturing and production processes do not have a negative impact on the environment, it is difficult to see such initiatives in rural areas, particularly marginalised ones.
Using a multivariate analysis of the changes taking place in this field in rural areas in Poland, the article attempts to assess the extent and significance of these processes.

Małgorzata Twardzik, Anita Szuszkiewicz (p)

Małgorzata Twardzik

In today’s fast-paced world, consumers are no longer confined to a single shopping channel. The rise of digital technology and changing consumer preferences have given birth to a new era in retail: omnichannel shopping.The last decade has seen many key changes in retail trends and the mindset towards physical shopping. And although the share of e-commerce in retail sales has stabilised at just over 8%, shopping centres that used to be a dominant retail market format encountered competition from retail parks, which forced them to redefine their use.
The retail sector has endured a period of sustained pressure, firstly through the growth of e-commerce and the rise of omnichannel retailing. Although the sector demonstrated great resilience in adapting to new conditions, it is simultaneously facing cyclical headwinds of high inflation, interest rates and service charges. Other significant challenges include the need to boost customer loyalty in an increasingly competitive environment and mounting ESG pressure.
More than 10 years ago, in 2010, retail growth centred around the expansion of e-commerce as out-of-town shopping centres and discount chains were booming and pop-up stores emerged on the market as a brand new format. Meanwhile, top trends in 2024 are that retail is more than ‘shops’ - it involves creating community destinations, health and wellbeing zones. At the same time, consumers’ attachment to physical shopping is shifting retailers’ focus towards new solutions to deliver a positive shopping experience to attract customers.
Shopping centres should offer more than just points of sale. A diverse and broad tenant-mix and an appropriate food and entertainment offering and choice of other services are key to positioning centres as community destinations. In the era of omnichannel, consumers have a myriad ways to shop, customer loyalty is an increasing challenge for shopping centres.
Placemaking should be a core part of shopping centre management. In addition to a financial aspect, building an appropriate marketing strategy and communication with customers is one of key priorities. Shopping centres that create positive retail and leisure experiences and offer relaxation, entertainment, education and interaction zones will gain repeat customers.

Małgorzata Twardzik (p)

Agnieszka Majorek-Gdula

Shopping centers appeared in Poland in the mid -1990s as foreign investments of the largest retail operators in Europe. The key discussions focus on shopping centres as attractive places for shopping, spending free time, and as new tourist and recreational spaces in cities. Importantly, the pace of retail and consumptions spaces development in Poland has been the most dynamic in Europe. Their rapid development is linked to the post-communism vacuum in the supply of such spaces. In Warsaw and other key cities, this gap has largely been filled by planned retail spaces, in particular shopping centres, while the organic growth of such spaces, was minimal, with only a limited number of high streets in Warsaw. The newly built shopping centers are becoming competitors for older facilities, which are increasingly struggling with the problem of lack of tenants. One in four shopping centres in Poland is over 20 years old, while those that are over 15 years old, are already considered obsolete.
The process of decline of shopping centres in Poland has already begun and could be further accelerated by the dynamic development of digital tools and their applications in trade, e.g., e-commerce, causing negative economic, functional and spatial effects. There is a concern that due to the shifts in consumer purchase behaviour, high inflation leading to smaller disposable income the economic viability of shopping centres, may be in question. There is a need to study the scale of this phenomenon in Poland and to look for opportunities to reverse the negative trend. This has been evident in recent years, as the market resilience of shopping centers in Poland has been systematically declining, leading to a loss of economic viability and, ultimately, bankruptcy. The resilience of a shopping centre is typically associated with its ability to adapt (react and adjust) to economic, social and environmental shocks. As such, this research seeks to examine recent changes in Warsaw's retail landscape and shifts in consumer trends to evaluate their current economic performance and resilience. Aims of the paper:
- Examining the evolutionary of the retail spaces in Warsaw.
- Investigating factors and pressures driving the current trends and economic performance of these spaces.
Research questions:
- What changes are taking place in retail spaces in Warsaw?
- What factors and pressures are driving current trends in retail spaces in Polish and other Western agglomerations?