National retailing after the Second World War: structural changes, differences and the impact of the socialist model on the Czech and Slovak Republics (1953–1989)

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Authors

KRIŽAN František KUNC Josef BILKOVÁ Kristína NOVOTNÁ Markéta

Year of publication 2024
Type Article in Periodical
Magazine / Source History of Retailing and Consumption
MU Faculty or unit

Faculty of Economics and Administration

Citation
Web odkaz na webovou stránku časopisu
Doi http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/2373518X.2024.2369829
Keywords Retail structure changes; nationalisation of retail; retail network centralisation vs decentralisation; socialist economic model; Czechoslovak Socialist Republic
Attached files
Description Changes in retail structures, processes, and culture in post-war Europe were strongly affected by the post-war economic boom, the origin of a mass consumer society, and the adaptation of innovations from the United States. Retail structures and the culture of consumption remained different in the Czech and Slovak parts of the former Czechoslovakia after the Second World War, which influenced the development of retail trade in both countries. After the rise to power of the communists, retail was nationalised, leading to centralising trends in the Czech Republic and decentralisation trends in Slovakia. As a result, the retail structure differed in the two countries. While the Czech Republic showed a preference for larger stores, Slovakia focused more on smaller stores, particularly in rural areas. Although the post-war period brought positive changes, such as the growth of retail trade and the restoration of the population’s purchasing power, the socialist economic model, which was controlled by state-owned enterprises, led to insufficient development and investment in retail and a lack of innovation and efficiency. The post-war period represented a key era for the transformation of European retail; the development trends in post-socialist countries, however, differed from other, capitalist countries.
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