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The main purpose of the present work is, based on a theoretical summary of the essence of concentration in the commercial sector, to carry out an assessment and comparative study of the level of concentration reached within the EU member states in the commercial activity of [G47] Retail trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles. The paper uses the methods of descriptive, content and comparative analysis. The main results show the rising concentration and economic power of companies operating in the retail trade sector. This process has an impact on the competitive structure of the sector and its power in the economic process as the key element and the final stage in the realization of the goods and its emerging importance in the national and global economy.

In this work, an assessment and analysis of the goods flow chain ratio is used to estimate structural change in the trade sector of the EU-27. For the purposes of the quantitative research, official Eurostat secondary data statistics of for the period 2005-2020 are used. The general trend formed throughout the EU to reduce intermediaries is not reproduced in the same way across countries and is sometimes characterized by unpredictable variation. This leads to the conclusion that middlemen are important for the distribution of products in the open market system. Therefore, the downsizing in goods flow chain intermediaries can be linked to the processes of digitization, globalization, the search for sustainable and socially and environmentally responsible business development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human existence faces catastrophic natural and climatic threats and environmental factors that have reached a critical level. Today, with the greatest urgency, measures are put on the agenda and taken for implementation with a view to achieving a slowing rate of development of unfavorable and negative changes in the living environment. This requires every individual, business entity and government to change their traditional behavior and way of being with a view to reformation in the present, but with much greater and radical significance for the near future. The work systematizes a variety of tools, broad-spectrum policies and organizational-technological transformations applied in commerce, with a view to achieving sustainable development. The brief overview of leading European retailers confirms the commitment of modern retail business to make a contribution to achieving change in all 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Automated post terminals (stations) are a modern concept of automated self-service. The development of this vending technology is alternative strategy of the postal and courier operators to cover the served territory and to offer more convenience in means of place and time. Automated postal stations deliver a tailored service to the needs and specifics of clients. In the paper different characteristics, positives and weaknesses of the automated postal station are described and their development in Bulgaria is summarized. Their future improvement is related to the extent of more automation and the introduction of different robotic and unmanned technologies used in the last mile of organization of product flow delivery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Q-commerce is a product of the integration of information and communication technologies and the migration of product exchange in the online environment, which in combination with the possibilities of physical delivery within a relatively short period of time, creates a new business segment for product exchange. In the course of the article, general and specific methods such as the descriptive method, situational and content analysis are used. This paper presents the nature, features, status and future development of Q-commerce as the next generation of e-commerce. Q-commerce is a business model that is gaining momentum, which is a product of rapid development and penetration of digital technologies in human and business life, increasing concentration of urban population, anti-epidemic restrictions imposed during the pandemic of COVID-19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study summarizes the evolution in vending business with the adoption and popularity of smart vending concept. Using the methods of descriptive, situational and content analysis are represented the features and benefits of smart vending machines as a form of out of store retailing. It's spreading is the result of combining the processes of digital transformation, the transition to the circular economy model and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on business and society. The smart vending machine ensures a great consumer experience and commitment, but on the other hand it provides the vending operator with advanced features for precise at the site and even online management of the device, the sophisticated control of the inventories and the analysis of the clients, the possibilities of modern forms and technologies of payments and communication are diversified, the promotional strategy and the information provision of the consumers is improved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the conditions of continuously changing market environment, the business agents are looking for working strategies and tools for improving the use of resources and achieving the desired economic and social effects. The paper evaluates and critically analyses two key metrics for measuring the expenditure efficiency of non-financial enterprises in Bulgaria by selected groups of economic activities and total for 2010 and 2019. The study confirms that certain economic activities of the national economy perform superior than others, which in comparative and dynamic aspect, confirms the ability of some economic agents to perform better in terms of optimization decisions for resource allocation, additionally is validated the logical relation of higher revenues from the activities of economic operators are caused by higher costs/expenses and vice versa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The beginning of the third decade of the 21st century has been marked by the unprecedented impact of the COVID-19 virus infection on all spheres of socioeconomic life of mankind. The effects of the global pandemic on economic activity in global, national, regional and local aspects are innumerable and difficult to determine. In the epidemic situation, the commercial business continued to operate at the forefront of the challenges of the epidemic restrictions imposed by national and local authorities, but also suffered the serious economic effects of the imposed health measures. One of the adverse effects has been expressed in dismissal of employees in the commercial sector, where certain outlets were forced to cease operations during the most severe emergency measures. This shocking contraction was followed by attempts to restart normal economic activity and restore trade operations under the new conditions. At the same time, the market environment reported the favorable development of electronic distribution channels, which have been able to derive positives from the emerging situation and even to engage additional labor resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper discusses the benefits associated with the use of intelligent (smart) packaging, which are gaining popularity and recognition as a technological innovation that brings benefits to all participants in the economic process. Theoretical summary is given about the nature of smart packaging and the advantages of their application for the retail trade and the consumers. Moments related to the regulatory requirements for their use are given. Data on the global market for smart packaging and for the production of packaged goods and packaging in Bulgaria in general are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The intensive expansion of the digital economy poses new challenges to the regulatory framework and corporate privacy policies for individuals. The enforcement of the EU's General Data Protection Regulation is triggering a new approach to the scope of personal data and the rules for their administration. There is a need for a complete reorganization of the ways in which websites study the behaviour and characteristics of online content users, which determines a change of the cookie policy out of the hidden internet area towards an unconditional need for explicit consent to their use for whatever purposes. This work provides theoretical basics about the nature and variety of HTTP cookies as a web tool. It outlines what changes result from the introduction of regulatory instruments and corporate policies for the protection and administration of the personal data of individuals in real and electronic environments. On this basis, the use of cookies in modern webpages and sites has been explored, which serves to implement varied changes in the proposed internet content to achieve conversion and the resulting economic and social effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At the end of the second decade of the digital millennium, the flow of daily human and business life is increasingly dependent on the development and invention of information and communication technologies. One of the innovations is chatbot, which is software that performs tasks as an automated information assistant with a wide range of applications and fields. This article reviews the nature and characteristics of chatbots and, based on their imposition and development in electronic exchange channels, comments are made on their potential impact on the retail and outsourcing business related to customer service. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The penetration of digital technologies into the ordinary daily life of a person creates a huge sphere of emerging opportunities with its specific and significant economic and social importance. In terms of product exchange, the field of attracting, stimulating and satisfying consumer demand is gradually migrating to the new dimensions of digital technology and the Internet. Today, more and more retailers are successfully adapting information and communication technologies to carry out their businesses into the new economy. This enables their favorable development at global, national and regional levels and the need for systematic studies. The article examines the main economic indicators of the activity of business agents of non-store retail trade in Varna region, which allows to draw a picture of the specific regional development and to look at the background similarities and differences with the processes taking place at national and global level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The past decades have seen continuous advancements of information and communication technologies that have substantially altered economy on a local, national and global scale. The employment of these technologies creates and tranfers to economic entities significant economic and social effects, yet it poses serious challenges to the security of the digital environment. An increasingly complicated issue is that of unlawful activities with payment transactions in trade. This paper reviews the nature of crimes related to payments in the physical and the digital environment; the characteristics of different technological means of safeguarding online payments, as well as some opportunities for improving the safety of individuals when using the Internet to make commercial payments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The impact which trade has on the economy, the performance of business entities and the daily life of individuals is in result of the immense significance and the scope it has acquired as a business activity. Although contemporary trade contributes to the carbon footprint of economic activity on the environment, it also provides a number of feasible opportunities for neutralizing the effect of the carbon footprint. While acting as the intermediaries in the exchange of goods and services, the agents engaged in trade need to develop efficient systems for waste management and resource allocation which, in addition to environmental benefits, will produce commensurate economic effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present article gives an overview of some important and specific features of reverse vending. We give examples of world practice in the management of packaging waste in different countries. In detail is discussed the concept of automatic processing of packaging waste, depositing of those packaging customers receive certain economic incentives. Thus the systemwhich takes back products packaging allows sales agents actively to participate in the process of recovery, which functions as a mechanism for economic motivation of end users. The key role of reverse vending is in terms of the beneficial impact on the environment and targeted waste management of flows generated and recycled packaging waste. The purpose of this work is to examine the nature of the reverse vending technology and its application as a concept for sustainable management of waste from product packaging in the world, the role of the representative agent of exchange in this process and opportunities for future development and implementation in Bulgaria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]