The Industrial Revolution of the 19th Century as a Source of Modern Efficiency Criteria in Retail: From Steam to Big Data
Abstract and keywords
Abstract:
The article examines the evolution of key elements of economic efficiency formed during the Industrial Revolution of the 19th century and their transformation in modern retail practice. The aim of the paper is to trace the continuity of fundamental categories (labor and capital productivity, economies of scale, turnover speed, division of labor, technological progress, organization of management) through a comparative analysis of the classical concepts of C. Babbage, F. Taylor, K. Marx, A. Marshall, J. B. Clark, and the DuPont model, and to demonstrate their adaptation to the digital economy. The research methodology is based on an interdisciplinary approach combining historical-economic, institutional analysis and case studies. The paper shows how classical ideas are embodied in modern federal retail chains – in automation, big data analytics, platform ecosystems, cluster-based assortment management, and solving the problem of losses in the FRESH category. A paradox of modern efficiency is revealed: classical laws (diminishing returns of physical assets) coexist with increasing returns from intangible assets (data, algorithms), requiring retailers to balance physical and digital resources. The main conclusion is that federal retail chains need to creatively reinterpret the classical legacy, which implies implementing dynamic clustering of retail outlets, using factor models to decompose profitability, and adapting the principles of scientific management to personnel and inventory management.

Keywords:
economic efficiency, Industrial Revolution, labor productivity, capital productivity, economies of scale, factor analysis, DuPont model, federal retail chains, digital rent, cluster approach, assortment management, big data
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