The art of adaptation: how to attract customers and increase effectiveness of retail stores in a VUCA world

In the study the author presented the adjustments implemented by various business entities operating within the retail industry and their impact on the competitiveness of reviewed discount stores. The companies analysed are considered as key players within the Polish retail market classified by the number of shops in each shop chain, number of customers attracted (also known as market penetration) and income from sales. Before the study, the author performed a literature search. In the first part of the article, the readers can find information presenting the operational background –a number of definitions, such as retailing and black swan, have been adduced to introduce the topic. Subsequently, the writer describes the scale of unexpected incidents affecting specific parts of society. Next paragraphs highlight the consumer trends of 2022 and their influence on customers. Furthermore, the author of the study presents the advantages of retail and market structure based on the size of outlets. In the last part, the readers can learn about the activities taken by several companies (Biedronka, Lidl, Netto, Aldi and Żabka) in recent years that created a difference in the results achieved by them.