Adaptive Financial Controlling in Times of Crisis: Evidence from Eastern European Retail
In the context of unprecedented geopolitical, economic, and supply chain disruptions in Eastern Europe over the past decade, the role of financial controlling in retail has undergone a fundamental transformation. This article offers a comprehensive, practitioner-driven analysis of adaptive financial controlling in the high-volatility environment of the Ukrainian and broader Central and Eastern European (CEE) retail sector. Drawing from my experience as a Key Account Manager in leading multinational and local retail companies- including managing through the collapse of major clients, currency devaluations, and war- I present a novel adaptive controlling cycle specifically tailored for markets exposed to extreme uncertainty. The research employs a mixed-methods approach, integrating operational data from the Ukrainian home appliance market (2018–2025), benchmarking against Poland and Lithuania, and qualitative insights from industry peers and published reports (GfK, Euromonitor, PwC).
