The spread of “big box” retail firms and spatial stratification

Abstract

AbstractLarge “big box” retail firms, including general merchandisers (e.g., Walmart and Target) as well as “category killers” (e.g., Home Depot and Toys “R” Us), have spread rapidly across the United States over the past 4 decades. These firms have been lauded for their presumed consumer benefits linked to expansive product selections and discount prices. They have also been criticized for their perceived negative effects on locally owned businesses, jobs, and wages. We provide an overview of the existing literature and point to promising directions for the development of theory and research on this topic. We, in this article, highlight the importance of this shift in economic organization and encourage sociologists to critically examine the stratification consequences of the rise and spread of these firms.