Sustainable Development in the Retail Sector - a Local Perspective

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN THE RETAIL SECTOR – A LOCAL PERSPECTIVE Magdalena Stefanska1, Barbara Borusiak2 Abstract In recent years, the concept of sustainable development (SD) has become an important determinant in the activities of enterprises and the authorities, at both central and local levels. The transference of many tasks from a central to a local government level has meant that local authorities have become the principal decision-makers, determining the directions for the development of individual territorial units. They also specify the conditions under which companies can participate in this process. A particular role in terms of implementing the sustainable development concept rests on retail enterprises. The purpose of this paper is to explain how the concept of sustainable development determines the policies of local governments with regard to developing a commercial network in a given area; and on the other hand, how it affects the development strategies of retail enterprises. The paper presents examples from selected countries illustrating how the SD concept is implemented at the local level in relation to the retail sector.