Local Retail Under Fire: Local Shopping Platforms Revisited Pre and During the Corona Crisis

Abstract

The digital transformation is threatening the local stationary retail sector. Local Shopping Platforms (LSPs) were considered as a promising approach to support local owner-operated retail outlets (LOOROs) with their digitalization, but they struggled in utilizing the special characteristics, like e.g., the locational advantages of the affiliated retailers. In this study, we assess the current state of LSPs in Germany in 2020 with the help of a structured content analysis and semi-structured telephone interviews, addressing also the impact of the Covid-19 crisis. Our results show that the preferential platform type has changed. The lockdown has significantly boosted the number of Store Locator Platforms as one type of LSP. Furthermore, it turned out that LSPs with a “Strictly Local Approach” introduce more location-based services than LSPs with a “Scaling Local Approach”.