Retail structural dynamics and the forces behind big-box retailing

Abstract

Recent change on the American retail landscape warrants a revisit to the catastrophe framework originated by Harris and Wilson (1978). A retail revolution, centered around the growth of big-box retailing, is recreating metropolitan retail structure. Alterations to both the sizes and spatial distributions of retailers in nearly every sector have resulted. This research presents a theoretical inquiry into the forces behind this change through an adoption and extension of the catastrophe theory framework. Results suggest that changes in retail structure, though they have altered consumer behavior, are more attributable to changes in the cost structures of ®rms than to changes in the preferences of consumers.JEL classi®cation: R12, L81, C61, D21

Beggar-thy-neighbor economic development: A note on the effect of geographic interdependencies in rural retail markets

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Understanding the ‘retail revolution’ in urban China: a survey of retail formats in Beijing

“…Home improvement stores are one type of 'big box' retailing that has prospered in developed economies over the past decade (Hernandez & Simmons, 2006;Munroe, 2001). Like in other Chinese cities, home improvement stores in Beijing exist in three forms.…”

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