SPACE AND TECHNOLOGY – DEVELOPMENT AND EFFICIENCY OF RETAIL TRADE

Abstract

The paper sets out from the business space (selling space, shop warehouse space etc.) and technology in theretail trade as factors of development of the retail trade in a particular country. As important factors of retailtrade effects, space and technology can be analysed from marketing and from logistic points of view (in thesense of implementation of modern business conceptions). The importance of space and technology is alsoobserved in the analysis of principal development directions in the formation of retail operating units.On the basis of the chosen indicators and accessible statistics for selected European countries (and inparticular for the Republic of Croatia), the author analyses the development of retail trades in respect to thereached relative size of selling space and the used technology. Additionally, for selected countries, there is alsoan analysis of the efficiency of retail trade in relation to the used selling surfaces. Based on the performedanalysis, it can be concluded that, in addition to the relative size of the selling space, indicators relating to the useof modern technologies and logistical solutions should also be used as indicators of development of retail trade.This would allow for a better explanation of insufficient efficiency of retail trade for the total economicdevelopment of the observed countries.

Key words: retail trade, selling surface, business logistics, retail supply chain, Republic of Croatia