Problem
Discrimination against local community shopping facilities
Other Names:
Disappearance of local shopsIncreasing predominance of supermarkets
Discriminatory supermarket pricing to eliminate local competition
Vanishing corner store
Active prejudice towards small service stores
Nature:
Although many city centres have huge shopping areas, other neighbourhoods have suffered a sharp decline in domestic commercial life. They are less adequately provided for than the average outlying village or suburb. The network of shops and services traditional at such a level has declined abruptly and, as a result, shop owners are hesitant to make further investments to expand the volume of their services. This creates a vicious circle by which people go elsewhere for an ever wider range of items and for lower prices, so that shopowners have to reduce their stock for smaller patronage, thus in turn attracting fewer customers. This process is modified by the 'captive consumer' phenomenon which keeps prices higher than in a more competitive area. Broader Problems:
Overpowering competitive marketsUnderutilized community facilitiesHaphazard provision of consumer servicesLack of support for local commercial services Narrower Problems:
Unexplored supermarket alternatives Aggravates:
Small business failuresDiscouraging conditions for small businessIsolation of neighbourhood shopping facilitiesDecline in commercial competition due to entrance barriersDeparture of business from small communities to urban locations Reduced By:
Monopoly consumer servicesStrategies:
Encouraging local business buyingUsing supermarketsSupporting corner store businessIncreasing predominance of supermarkets Subject(s):
Society → CommunitiesSociety → Local
Social Activity → Services
Commerce → Merchants
Commerce → Purchasing, supplying
Commerce → Conditions of trade
Related UN Sustainable Development Goals:
Problem Type:
F: Fuzzy exceptional problems Date of last update
06.02.1999 – 00:00 CET