Currently, the development of globalization trends has led to a kind of revolution in the global retail system. Retail companies play a significant role in society. They are one of the first to respond to changes in market conditions, as they directly interact with a wide range of consumers: and the problem of determining the factors affecting the effectiveness of companies, as well as the nature of their influence, are becoming increasingly important. The reason for this is both structural problems in the economies of many countries and the natural desire of various companies to maximize their market position. The realities of today allow us to make sure: retail is increasingly using online space to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of interaction with the consumer. In the vast majority of cases, it is here that the initial knowledge of the offer, the characteristics of the goods and services is obtained, the consumer values of the competitor products are compared, and sales transactions are selected and updated. In contrast to traditional retailing, the online retail sector shows strong growth, and the most competitive position is taken by companies whose indispensable attribute is online interaction with the consumer. In this context, this paper presents an analysis of the development of retail as a business activity, the main problems and opportunities of retail companies and the impact of various factors on their activities, The peculiarity of estimation of financial results of activity of retail enterprises is taken into account, and peculiarities of estimation of competition in the field of retail are identified. Conclusions have been drawn on the importance of retail as a sector of the economy, showing that in order to maintain a market position in economically difficult times, it is necessary to develop and implement a holistic anti-crisis concept, including tools for overcoming the situation.