Commodity science through the lens of synergetics: self-organization of niche product markets

Pambuk Svitlana
Ph.D., Associate Professor of the Department of Trade Entrepreneurship, Commodity Studies and Business Management, Odesa National University Of Technology, Odesa, Ukraine, E-mail: pambuk@ukr.net, ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6651-5774

Received: 16.06.2025    Аpproved: 23.06.2025    Рublished online: 25.07.2025

Cite this article:

Pambuk S. (2025) Commodity science through the lens of synergetics: self-organization of niche product markets. Ed.: V.V. Kovalenko (ed.-in-ch.) and others [Tovaroznavstvo cherez pryzmu synergetyky: samoorganizacija rynkiv nishevyh produktiv.: V.V. Kovalenko (gol. red.)], Scientific Bulletin of the Odesa National Economic University (ISSN 2313-4569), Odesa National Economics University, Odesa, No. 6 (331), pp. 95-102.

Abstract

The study offers an innovative interdisciplinary approach to the analysis of modern commodity science by integrating the methodology and conceptual foundations of synergetic science - the science of self-organization in complex systems. The aim of the article is to develop theoretical and methodological foundations and practical recommendations for the application of the synergistic approach in commodity science. The following methods were used in writing the article: analytical, descriptive, generalization, and systems approaches. The main attention is paid to niche commodity markets, which are considered not as passive objects of management, but as dynamic self-organized ecosystems with their own development models. Using five key niche segments - craft brewing, agricultural products, natural cosmetics, designer clothing, and craft chocolate - the study demonstrates critical synergistic mechanisms that determine the dynamics of these markets. Special attention is paid to the processes of bifurcation that provoked the deviation of niche markets from mass production. The author examines in detail the fractal nature of structures formed at different levels of niche markets – from micro-manufacturers to medium-sized companies – which reproduce similar models of innovation, branding and interaction with consumers. A significant discovery is the concept of information autocatalysis – self- accelerating processes of knowledge and experience exchange that intensify the development of these markets through specialized media, online platforms and professional communities. The work systematizes the cyclical development of niche markets, from the stages of spontaneous emergence, through rapid growth, stabilization and structuring, to the formation of influential institutions and gradual integration into the mainstream. Comparative analysis allows us to identify common evolutionary patterns in different niche markets, as well as their differences, which are determined by the specifics of the product category and the cultural context. This approach opens up new perspectives for the theory and practice of commodity studies in the context of global challenges of sustainable development and transformation of the consumer market under the influence of digitalization and greening of economies.

Keywords

synergetics, commodity science, niche markets, self-organization, bifurcation, craft products, fractality, informational autocatalysis, consumer expertise, market institutionalization.

JEL classification: D110; D810; L150; L660; O310; Q130;DOI: https://doi.org/10.32680/2409-9260-2025-6-331-95-102

UD classification: 620.2:330.46:339.13

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