Thirty years of retail transformation in V4 countries

The book presents a comprehensive view of the development and transformation of retail in the Central European region, specifically in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland and Hungary (so-called Visegrad Group countries, Visegrad Four or V4 countries). These countries have long-term common historical ties and culture. Their socialist history still united them by common economic and geopolitical interests. The aim of the book is to provide readers with a deeper insight into the retail environment of the V4 countries, which is linked to three decades of post-socialist transformation. This transformation has been associated with a fundamental change in the economic environment, localization strategies, and spatial distribution, creating a new network structure with new catchment and commuting links. It has also been associated with the development of large retail units and a fundamental change in shopping behaviour and consumer preferences of the affected populations by restricting purposeful shopping only and moving to entertainment and leisure in shopping centres. The book also reflects current trends in the use of smart technologies in shopping and responds to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on today's retail.