The modernization of fresh food retailing in China: The role of consumers |
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| Institution: | 1. Graduate School of Business Administration, Kobe University, 2-1 Rokkodai, Nada-ku, Kobe 6578501, Japan;2. School of Tourism Management, Zhengzhou University, No.100 of Science Road, Zhengzhou, Henan Province 450001, China;1. Department of Disease Control and Emergency Response, Guangzhou Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Guangzhou, People''s Republic of China;2. Director Office, Guangzhou Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Guangzhou, People''s Republic of China;3. Division of Behavioural Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, People''s Republic of China;4. Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, People''s Republic of China;1. IUT de Colmar (University of « Haute-Alsace »), Research fellow at the Beta UMR 7522, Professional contact: 34 rue du Grillenbreit BP 50568, 68008 Colmar cedex, France;2. EM Strasbourg Business School (Strasbourg University), Professional contact: 61, avenue de la Forêt-Noire, 67085 Strasbourg Cedex, France;1. Niels Brock Copenhagen Business College, Denmark;2. Department of Business Management, Sokoine University of Agriculture, Morogoro, Tanzania |
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| Abstract: | Since 2002, the Chinese government has initiated the “Wet Market Transforming into Food Supermarket (WMTFS)” program that aims to transform the traditional fresh food retailing system into a more efficient system that adopts a supermarket operation mode. However, after years of effort, the process of implementing the WMTFS program has been painfully slow. In addition to several supply side factors, this paper focuses on the consumer demand side using survey data in three large Chinese cities to identify the factors affecting consumers' decisions to buy fresh food from traditional vs modern retail formats. It further explores regional differences in consumers' shopping behavior. We find that freshness, accessibility, and whether buyers can bargain are influencing factors and the effects of socioeconomic factors such as income and storage facility are very limited. In addition, we find regional difference exists in consumers' retail format preferences. We suggested that managers of fresh food supermarket should enhance product freshness and safety in the future. Meanwhile, since traditional retail formats are still preferred by many consumers, the policy-makers should give a further thinking on the specific way of transformation. |
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| Keywords: | Modern retail system Consumer behavior Food retailing Regional differences China |
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