Retailing in a Transitional Central European Economy

The thesis addresses the development of clothing retailing in the Czech Republic under conditions of the transition to a market economy in the period 1994-1999. It represents a comprehensive study of changes in clothing retailing applying a longitudinal approach supported by empirical analysis. The conceptual framework allows exploration of quantitative and qualitative changes in terms of what changed in the structure of clothing retailing and what were the main factors associated with change. The study provides a basis for assessment of the applicability of existing models of retail evolution in the development of clothing retailing in the Czech Republic in the transition and proposes a dynamic model that allows a more comprehensive explanation of retail evolution. The model explains retail development as an interaction of shoppers on the demand side and sellers on the supply side. The model allows quantification of retail changes and computation of the demand and supply potential. It contributes to the knowledge of retail development and lays the methodological foundation for further studies.