The paper presents historical development, definition and increasing role of the hypermarkets in contemporary global economy. They are the biggest players not only in economy but also in the culture (consumer choice, patterns of consumption, styles of life etc.) and politics (increasing impact on rules in international trade policy and government policy). The author analysed specificity of Polish trade market and expansion of foreign hypermarkets in Poland. Different, both positive and negative aspects of their activity, are described in Polish and British comparative perspectives, especially in the light of consumer relations, local communities, suppliers of hypermarkets (small firms, farmers), the environment, employees and workers relations and political impact of big trade companies.