Future of Food Retailers’ Store Strategies and Their Function as Social Infrastructure

This study examined the novel store strategies adopted by Japanese food retailers as social infrastructure in food desert areas. As Japan’s food retail market has been shrinking, food retailers are revising traditional chain store operations, seeking new store strategies. Two retailers, a convenience store chain and a consumer cooperative, were selected as case studies. They had significantly improved accessibility constraints for their consumers. Regarding availability, the convenience store adapted its assortment to meet local consumers’ needs and wants, and the co-op’s mobile retailing format strove to optimize itself through face-to-face communication with customers. Both retail formats succeeded in gaining customer support, resulting in sales above the break-even point and business continuity. Noteworthy is the fact that collaboration between various entities created retail innovation, and that they were trying to pursue a community-based approach for local sustainability.