Analysis of retail sector research evolution and trends during COVID-19

The purpose of this study is to analysis the evolution of the retail sector during the COVID-19 period and to identify future research issues. Scopus databases were searched for articles published in English between 2020 and 2022 to discover current trends and concerns in the retail industry. A total of 1071 empirical and nonempirical studies were compiled as a result of the evaluation process. During the study period, the number of articles published in scientific journals increased exponentially, indicating that the research topic is still in the developmental phase. It also highlights the most important research trends, allowing numerous new research lines to be proposed via visual mapping of Thematic Maps. This study makes an important contribution to the field of the retail sector, providing a comprehensive overview of the field’s evolution and current status, as well as a comprehensive, synthesized, and organized summary of the various perspectives, definitions, and trends in the field. •Evolution of retail sector during the COVID-19 period and identify future research issues are investigated.•The Scopus databases were searched for English-language articles published between 2020 and 2022 in order to discover current retail industry concerns and trends.•A total of 96 empirical and non-empirical studies were compiled as a result of the evaluation process.•This study made use of qualitative computer-assisted data analysis techniques.•This study makes an important contribution to the field of retail sector.•Highlighted the most important research trends and allowing numerous new research lines to be proposed via visual mapping of Thematic Maps.•Provide a comprehensive overview of the field’s evolution and current status, as well as a comprehensive, and organized summary of the various perspectives, and trends in the field.