International retailers top traditional commerce

Local retail enjoyed the highest advance in Central and Eastern Europe, up 13 percentage points, from 42 percent in 2006.

While the market share of traditional stores dropped to 45 percent at present from 58 percent in 2006, the popularity of hypermarkets rose significantly, to 29 percent in 2007 from 4 percent in 2003. Discount stores enjoyed the same trend, starting at zero in 2005 and now at 13 percent growth, according to the study, while supermarkets dropped to 13 percent in 2007 from 16 percent in 2006.

In Central and Eastern Europe, modern retail networks are the preferred place for shopping, with 79 percent of Czechs, 74 percent of Slovenes, 64 percent of Poles and Hungarians, 57 percent of Slovaks, and only 36 percent of Bulgarians.

At the regional level, hypermarkets last year were preferred by 25 percent of shoppers, followed by supermarkets, at 21 percent, but down from 2006. Discount stores are the next choice of shoppers, at 18 percent.