Economics and Business Management

Assortment policy in the commodity science of food products in Ukraine and its impact on the economy of retail enterprises

Mykola Ilchuk, Anastasiia Kyrychenko, Olha Tomashevska, Serhii Nikitchenko, Vladyslav Tomashevskyi
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Abstract

The assortment policy of food products represents a key factor determining the efficiency of retail enterprises and the competitiveness of the retail market. It influences the formation of retail turnover, distribution costs and the profitability of operating activities, while also reflecting consumer behaviour and priority preferences. This study aimed to formalise cause-and-effect relationships between the structural assortment characteristics and the economic indicators of the trade enterprises and identify the differentiated effect of assortment factors depending on the retail format. The research used methods of bibliographic analysis, grouping, time series analysis, economic and mathematical modelling (cascade model of influence of the assortment structure on retail turnover, distribution costs and operational profitability) and logical generalisation. It was found that the breadth, depth and concentration of the assortment have a significant influence on the economic indicators of the trade enterprise. For the specialised stores, the main focus should be concentrated on the management of retail turnover and the concentration of sales, and for non-specialised ones, the focus is on the distribution costs and optimisation of assortment structure. The application of the cascade model makes it possible to quantify the contribution of each product category and aggregated indicators of assortment policy to financial performance. Macroeconomic environment, primarily the income of the households and food security, forms the context of the assortment policy implementation and affects its efficiency in general. The practical significance of the study involves recommendations for trade enterprises concerning the optimisation of the assortment of products, increasing profitability and competitiveness. The results may be useful for businesses, the public authorities and scientists in the development of a strategy for trade development and improvement of assortment policy management

Keywords

product assortment structure; food retail; economic efficiency; financial performance; selling expenses; operating profitability

Suggested citation
Ilchuk, M., Kyrychenko, A., Tomashevska, O., Nikitchenko, S., & Tomashevskyi, V. (2026). Assortment policy in the commodity science of food products in Ukraine and its impact on the economy of retail enterprises. Economics and Business Management, 17(1), 141-162. https://doi.org/10.31548/economics/1.2026.141
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