The Role of Retail in the Formation of Criteria for the Life Support System of the Country’s Population

The aim of the proposed article is to address an important issue concerning the development of trade activities under modern conditions, linked to the emergence of a new, yet not clearly defined object in theory and methodology – retail – as a life-supporting component. The theoretical and methodological foundation of this research is based on the scientific works and developments of both domestic and foreign specialists analyzing the parameters of the functioning of domestic trade and the life support system of the population. In the course of the research, methods of system analysis of economic phenomena were used. As a result of the carried out analysis of theoretical provisions, it is suggested to interpret the life support system as a rational arrangement of life and activities of the population utilizing all available resources, ensuring that its fundamental needs and interests are met, and maintaining an acceptable level of income and consumption for an indefinite period of time, also providing favorable conditions for life activity. The structural composition of the life support system of the country’s population is presented. The article addresses the problem of scientific substantiation of the theoretical foundations and provisions for forming the criteria for the life support of the population in relation to the functions of retail trade under modern conditions in Ukraine. The following criteria for life support are proposed: safety and reliability for the consumer; completeness of satisfaction of needs; accessibility of goods; social orientation (initiative in social projects); resilience in extreme conditions. A promising direction for further scientific research in this area is the development of scientific and methodological tools for the quantitative assessment of the impact of retail trade efficiency indicators on the quantitative indicators of population life support based on economic and mathematical modeling and statistical assessments.