Transformations in the grocery retail trade in Poland after 1989. A case study of the development of the Dino retail chain

Abstract

The last three decades have seen significant changes in grocery retailing. These have been the result of a number of factors, most notably the influx of investment into Poland by foreign food chains, and the spread of self-service sales. The emergence of large and medium format chain shops changed both the forms of trade, consumer habits, as well as the appearance and development of suburbs. The article in part one shows the process of change in grocery retailing after 1989. The second part shows the beginnings and development of the Dino chain. Supermarkets of this chain were mainly established in small towns and smaller centres, offering a limited range of products for a specific customer group. Built over two decades, the Dino chain is one of the largest employers, with more than 2,000 outlets. In 2020, it entered the top ten of the country's largest grocery chains due to its market share and sales revenues.