engleski

Social Supermarkets as Entrepreneurial Ventures in Socially Responsible Economy

The ongoing economic crisis caused the rising unemployment and the increasing poverty in the European Union and resulted in broadened income inequalities. On the other hand, the traditional distribution channels usually generate surpluses that can be effectively used to decrease problems of poverty. Research studies show that social supermarkets, as a new retail format, are becoming increasingly important factor in reducing poverty across Europe throughout more efficient distribution of generated surpluses of goods. Social supermarkets, at their core purpose and mean of operations, are substantially different compared to the traditional retail formats. In the current scientific literature, they have not been sufficiently investigated so far, especially in Central and Eastern European countries. As social supermarkets base their operation on philanthropic foundations, volunteering and donations, and already in some markets significantly affect the structure of revenues of the traditional retailers, this topic requires a multidisciplinary approach. Social supermarkets are a new retail format that encourages positive social change through meeting the needs of people in material deprivation, giving them a chance to keep their dignity in an environment where they can choose different types of goods for free or at extremely low prices. From a scientific standpoint, social supermarkets are a new research area whose development started at the beginning of this century. Some studies elaborated France, Austria, Belgium, UK, Switzerland and other more developed EU countries and shown that there are more than 1000 active social supermarkets around Europe. However, social supermarkets in Central and Eastern Europe are not researched and there were no available primary research data. Therefore, in 2014 we conceptualized a scientific research project under the title “Potentials and obstacles of Social Supermarkets Development in Central and Eastern Europe” (in Croatian language: “Potencijali i prepreke razvoja socijalnih supermarketa u Srednjoj i Istočnoj Europi”). The project was accepted and approved for financing by the Croatian Science Foundation under the code UIP-2014-09-4057.

social supermarkets, social responsibility, entrepreneurship

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