This paper examines the development of the Merchandising Management Program at Michigan State University and the development of a teaching module which focuses on the shifting economies in eastern Europe, particularly Poland, as they change from command to market economies. An overview of Polish retail trade required the development of a study to gain baseline data for the module because of the lack of current information. Also, a step-by-step process is given on how this baseline information was collected and processed, including trips to Moscow, Warsaw, and Katowice (Poland) to conduct interviews with retail owners/managers/directors and government officials. The interviews assisted in comparing retailing under the new economic approach with that of the old. Creation of the module also involved summarization of the data collected and the creation of visual materials for classroom presentation. Appendices include the questionnaire used in data collection, and the pretest used to determine the student's existing knowledge of Poland and the former Soviet Union. Contains 12 references. (GLR)