The retail revolution in post-socialist Central Europe and its lessons

Post-socialist Central Europe witnessed the retail revolution that preceded residential sprawl and suburban lifestyles. The retail sectors in countries under Soviet influence were systematically dismantled and reconstructed following the Second World War. The rapid changes in the retail sector in post-socialist Central and Eastern Europe are well recognized and can arguably be considered a symbolic hallmark of the transition. After a few transitional years of privatization, de-concentration of retail ownership, and some domestic-capital initiatives, from the late 1990s onward there was rapid consolidation and the establishment of multinational, large format, modern retail facilities. The massive capitalization of international retailers in contrast to the incomes of government and municipal officials meant that bribery was frequent and could override residual attempts to regulate land use. Western Europe, on the other hand, has evolved a fairly diverse and sophisticated toolkit of measures for regulating retail.