ANALYSIS OF CHANGES IN THE BUSINESS OF LEADING RETAILERS IN EUROPEAN UNION DURING THE PANDEMIC PERIOD

Maloprodaja je dio trgovine kao gospodarske djelatnosti, a odnosi se na aktivnost prodaje robe ili usluga potrošačima odnosno krajnjim korisnicima. Zbog velikog broja poduzeća i radnih mjesta koje pruža, utjecaj maloprodaje na dugoročni gospodarski rast je značajan. U jeku pandemije koronavirusa koja je početkom 2020. godine natjerala države na zatvaranja, maloprodajni sektor je stavljen pred veliki izazov. Cilj rada je prikazati utjecaj pandemije na maloprodajni sektor u Europskoj uniji te odgovori maloprodavača na novonastalu situaciju. Sektor maloprodaje doživljava veliki pad u prvoj godini pandemije, u kojoj se potrošači u velikom broju okreću online kupovini, gdje se uviđa porast kupovine namirnica. Trgovci dodatno povećavaju ulaganja u digitalne kanale zbog zatvaranja fizičkih prodavaonica iako je trend povećanja online kupovine bio vidljiv i prije pandemije. Razvoj novih tehnologija i tehnika korištenih u unapređivanju kanala prodaje je ubrzan, pa tako korištenje virtualne stvarnosti za prikaz ponude, te bespilotnih letjelica, odnosno dronova za distribuciju proizvoda postaje „novo normalno“. Iako online prodaja postaje dominantan oblik kupovine, kupci se i dalje vraćaju fizičkim prodavaonicama jer to za njih postaju mjesta okupljanja, ne samo kupovine.Retail is a part of an economic activity, and refers to the activity of selling goods or services to consumers or end users. Due to the large number of businesses and jobs it provides, the impact of retail on long-term economic growth is significant. In the midst of the coronav irus pandemic that forced countries to close in early 2020, the retail sector is facing a major challenge. The aim of this paper is to show the impact of the pandemic on the retail sector in the European Union and the responses of retailers to the new situation. The retail sector is experiencing a big drop in sales in the first year of the pandemic, in which consumers are turning to online shopping in large numbers, with an increase in grocery shopping. Retailers are further increasing their investment in d igital channels due to the closure of physical stores, although the trend of increasing online shopping was visible even before the pandemic. The development of new technologies and techniques used in the improvement of channels has accelerated, so the use of virtual reality to display range of products, and drones for product distribution is becoming the "new normal". Although online sales is becoming the dominant form of shopping, customers are still turning to physical stores because for them they are gathering places, not just for shopping