The focus of this article is the consumer in post-communist society, specifically the evolution of a repertoire of adaptive behaviors under the new market conditions. The conceptual framework underpinning the research is Hirschman's typology of exit and voice. Over one thousand Czech respondents were surveyed in 1995 and again in 1999 to ascertain their readiness to exercise their right to engage in exit or voice when confronted with an unsatisfactory retail experience. The data show a growing willingness to use voice, a trend which was evident sooner among the more highly educated but which spread over time to consumers generally. This research is among the first published evidence of the impact at the level of individual choice of the transition of a former communist state to a western-style market society.
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