Location Process of Large-Scale Retail Stores from the Viewpoint of the Operation of Large-Scale Retail Stores Act

Abstract

This report aims to compare the location process of large-scale retail stores by looking at how the large-scale retail stores act affected operations in the 1980s and 1990s. It will focus on two case studies-Yawata City and Kumiyama Town in the southern area of Kyoto Prefecture.In Yawata City, there used to be “Yawata Ichiba”, one of the tenants space for small retail shops. It was the main food distribution center to neighborhood inhabitants until the late 1970s. The plan for large-scale retail stores in Yawata City has been realized since 1974. In 1983 “Yawata Shopping Center” opened after negotiations between supermarkets and local retail stores. Nichi (Mycal) was the main anchor shop. Local retailers in particular “Yawata Ichiba” shops were favored to enter “Yawata Shopping Center” as tenants because regulations imposed by the large-scale retail store act until the 1980s were rigorous.In Kumiyama Town, two large shopping centers opened in 1999 and 2000; one, “AEON Kumiyama” is anchored by AEON (Jusco), and the other, “Loc-town Kumiyama” has one home center and four specialized shops. In these shopping centers tenants, there are a few local retail stores because Kumiyama Town has not developed commercial area. Both shopping centers were readily accessible by motor vehicle, so many people go to those centers instead of old small size centers. On the other hand, existing retailers in towns next to Kumiyama Town saw the new shopping center as a threat to their own trade, because their market areas were so wide. Therefore, two shopping centers received a little adjustment in order to defuse the competition between shopping centers.Comparing this to the location process of large-scale retail stores according to the large-scale retail store act, it can be seen that the degree of local retailers, commitment to store location was different. This means that there was different location adjustment of large-scale retail stores between the 1980s and 1990s. Therefore, two different commercial accumulations were formed in Yawata City and Kumiyama Town.