In the study there were presented some problems of accessibility, collection and usage of information as one of instruments for gaining competitive advantage by retail trade enterprises. The conclusions were based on the analysis of the authors’ research covering 250 trade enterprises functioning in podkarpackie voivodeship. As a diversifying factor there were used: the place of a shop functioning (town – rural area) and a size of the unit measured by the sale area. The analysis concerns information about clients as well as competitors as two basic units from the environment of trade enterprise that influence their market success.

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