Prof. Małgorzata Twardzik (p), Phd Anita Szuszkiewicz, Phd Alicja Fandrajewska

The Polish retail sector is a fascinating theater of change. On the one hand, statistics—such as those from the “Digital Poles 2023” report—indicate that nearly 80% of Internet users regularly shop online. On the other hand, consumer behavior studies show that over 40% of customers visit brick-and-mortar stores almost every day. The Polish market has its own unique characteristics. It is dominated by discount stores such as Biedronka and Dino, which, in the face of inflationary pressure, have become the driving force behind the entire industry. At the same time, regulatory factors, such as restrictions on Sunday trading, have fundamentally changed shopping habits, strengthening the position of smaller formats and online commerce. It is a powerful branch of the economy, employing over 1.2 million people and constantly adapting to new market conditions. Despite the digital revolution, traditional retail outlets are still doing well. They offer something that the virtual world cannot fully replicate: the sensory experience. The ability to touch the material, try on clothes, or get advice from an expert are values that remain priceless for many customers. Today, brick-and-mortar stores are becoming more like experience centers and brand showcases rather than just transaction points. Online sales are no longer an innovation; they have become the norm. Convenience, an almost unlimited assortment, and the ability to instantly compare offers have made e-commerce responsible for a significant portion of the retail market. Technology is no longer an add-on; it has become the lifeblood of modern commerce, without which the entire operation simply grinds to a halt. Artificial intelligence is bringing about the biggest revolution. AI systems can analyze customer behavior in real time, offering them hyper-personalized product recommendations. What's more, AI allows for accurate demand forecasting, which is key to optimizing inventory and avoiding costly shortages or surpluses. Retail is constantly evolving, and those who want to not only survive but also set trends must think one step ahead by implementing modern solutions for business and e-commerce.

Prof. Małgorzata Twardzik, Phd Anita Szuszkiewicz (p), Prof. Anna Dąbrowska

Over the decade 2010-2020, there have been far-reaching changes in the functioning and distribution of retail chains in Europe, but also in individual EU countries, including Poland. The changes affect both structures associated with large urban centres and their agglomerations as well as smaller centres, often serving mainly the surrounding rural areas. On the one hand, consumer behaviour is changing rapidly and radically, while on the other, retail structures are undergoing profound changes - both in terms of volume as well as spatially. The article draws attention to the rapid evolution of consumer behaviour and the corresponding change in the location structures of retail chain facilities both in urban and rural areas.

Prof. Krystian Heffner (p)

The development of settlement structures is increasingly showing signs of progressive polarisation. On the one hand, the population, jobs, infrastructure, broadly understood services and trade are concentrated in several (a dozen or so) metropolitan centres and their immediate surroundings, while on the other hand, in other towns, and especially in rural areas, the population potential is declining, migration outflows are intensifying, and the social, economic, and technical infrastructure is depreciating.
In large rural areas experiencing increasing marginalisation, often accompanied by marginalisation, access to services and trade, especially basic ones, is declining. The shrinking network of local retail stores, growing competition from online services, and the spatial concentration of retail sales through supermarket chains, which locate their stores only in local or supra-local centres, are increasingly causing difficulties in the supply of basic products. Indirectly, this reduces the attractiveness of most rural areas and even small towns, both for rural residents and for newcomers. It also often becomes a barrier to the development of tourism, recreation, and leisure activities. In rural areas, there is a steady decline in the number of retail grocery stores, and the ongoing consolidation and spatial concentration of rural grocery stores and, more broadly, of all retail sales, reduces their accessibility.
If sustainable retail is understood as retail organisations undertaking initiatives to ensure that their activities, manufacturing, and production processes do not have a negative impact on the environment, then in rural areas, especially marginalised ones, it is difficult to see such initiatives.
The article uses a multivariate analysis of changes in the distribution and intensity of commerce in selected peripheral and marginalising areas in Poland to assess the scope and significance of these processes in the context of greater cohesion of development processes.