With the increasing interest in neighborhoods, the concept of “local” has emerged as a new economic force in the small business industry. In this context, the purpose of this study is to analyze the characteristics of changes in local business districts as they grow, and to provide valuable data for site selection and industry choices, which are crucial for small business startups. Initially, we explored the changes in population and stores over five years (2017, 2022) in Hong-dae and Seong-su business districts, which are representative local areas in South Korea. Population factors included the number of young adults, the number of single-person households, and the floating population. Store information included restaurant addresses, specific business types, and opening/closing dates, which were analyzed using Geographic Information Systems (GIS). The population factors of the Seong-su business district, which is in a period of local growth, all increased, and stores concentrated around the initial formation point of the local district and expanded into alleys. In terms of business type, there was a significant increase in the proportion of cafes, western food, Japanese food, and sentimental bars. In contrast, in the Hong-dae business district, where localization has already been activated, there has been no significant change in the resident population and specific business type. However, the concentration of stores has spread more widely to alleys and non-core areas. Therefore, small business owners who start a local business should base their decisions on the characteristics of changes as the local business district grows. They should consider factors such as the influx of the youth population when choosing a location and a type of business for successful operation.
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