Store Density Research Articles

Are Customers Always Right? The Importance of Sincerity and Keenness in Creating Retail Sustainable Development

In recent years, sustainability has become one of the essential elements of corporate management. There are many ways retailers can influence and develop a sustainable environment. The Taiwanese retail sector accounts for 10% of GDP. The capital city Taipei has the world’s highest department store density (per capita). This study encapsulates retail expertise to generate ten dimensions from 46 retail service quality scale indicators: SNAKE ROSES. The study first adopts qualitative analysis by conducting semi-structured interviews with five experts in the industry. Fifteen Delphi technique experts were then consulted for both qualitative and quantitative analysis of the indicators. Based on the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), the most important aspects of customer service were ranked. The study shows that service quality dimensions are Sincerity, Neatness, Attentiveness, Keenness, Empathy, Reliability, Optimism, Steadfastness, Expertise, and Store Policy. Sincerity and Keenness are the most crucial globally. Although numerous researchers have examined the broader topic of perceived service quality, studies have yet to explore the critical role of Eastern culture, and therefore this study introduces an innovative framework. Implications include a conceptual framework for the key factors influencing customer satisfaction, one of the most critical dimensions of perceived service quality and customer satisfaction in the Taiwanese retail industry. A specification for retailers is delivered, intending to improve their sustainability strategies.

A Spatial Analysis of Food Insecurity and Body Mass Index with Income and Grocery Store Density in a Diverse Sample of Adolescents and Young Adults.

Food insecurity occurs when a household lacks consistent access to food and is more prevalent in ethnic and racial minority populations. While there has been a proliferation of research linking food insecurity to obesity, these findings are mixed. It may be helpful to consider some additional geographic factors that may be associated with both factors including socioeconomic status and grocery store density. The purpose of the current study aimed to examine spatial relationships between food insecurity and SES/store density and BMI and SES/store density in a diverse sample of adolescents and young adults across two studies in a large, urban city. GIS analysis revealed that participants with the highest food insecurity tend to live in the zip codes with the lowest median income. There did not appear to be clear a relationship between food insecurity and store density. Participants with the highest BMI tend to live in zip codes with lower median income and participants with higher BMI tended to live in the south and west sides of Chicago, which have a relatively lower concentration of grocery stores in the city. Our findings may help to inform future interventions and policy approaches to addressing both obesity and food insecurity in areas of higher prevalence.

Extending the servicescape conceptualization: accounting for perceptions of crowding and risks under the pandemic

PurposeThough many conceptual and empirical studies have been conducted on the servicescape, limited research has focused on how the COVID-19 pandemic has reshaped factors influencing the servicescape. This paper aims to propose an extension of Bitner’s original conceptualization, including pandemic-induced physical and social constraints on servicescape in the form of crowding, consumer risk perception during the crisis and their impact on consumers' and employees’ behavioral changes in retail and hospitality sectors.Design/methodology/approachThis paper critically reviewed the past and emerging servicescape and risk literature. It then examines and delineates the concepts of crowding, density and associated risk perceptions to offer an extended servicescape framework. Alongside, scales were proposed to measure the constructs and guidelines given to conduct future empirical studies.FindingsThis paper discussed the major impact on servicescape during a pandemic situation, to what extent risk is perceived during consumption and the impact of crowding and store density on employee and customer behavioral responses.Research limitations/implicationsThis paper principally contributes by explicitly including specific risk dimensions and crowding and proposes the scales to measure consumers’ understanding of pandemic-induced perceptions of risk, crowding and density within servicescapes for further empirical testing. Alongside this, the identification and concretization of different types of perceived risks under COVID-19 provide critical and useful marketing implications.Originality/valueThis study identifies relevant risk dimensions, proposes crowding as an independent construct apart from servicescape physicality and proposes relevant measures for empirical verification.

Highlights From the Circulation Family of Journals.

Highlights From the Circulation Family of Journals.

Association of the retail food environment, BMI, dietary patterns, and socioeconomic position in urban areas of Mexico.

The retail food environment is a key modifiable driver of food choice and the risk of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). This study aimed to assess the relationship between the density of food retailers, body mass index (BMI), dietary patterns, and socioeconomic position in Mexico. Cross-sectional dietary data, BMI and socioeconomic characteristics of adult participants came from the nationally representative 2012 National Health and Nutrition Survey in Mexico. Geographical and food outlet data were obtained from official statistics. Densities of food outlets per census tract area (CTA) were calculated. Dietary patterns were determined using exploratory factor analysis and principal component analysis. The association of food environment variables, socioeconomic position, BMI, and dietary patterns was assessed using two-level multilevel linear regression models. Three dietary patterns were identified-the healthy, the unhealthy and the carbohydrates-and-drinks dietary pattern. Lower availability of fruit and vegetable stores was associated with an unhealthier dietary pattern whilst a higher restaurant density was associated with a carbohydrates-and-drinks pattern. A graded and inverse association was observed for fruit and vegetable store density and socioeconomic position (SEP)-lower-income populations had a reduced availability of fruit and vegetable stores, compared with higher-income populations. A higher density of convenience stores was associated with a higher BMI when adjusting for unhealthy dietary patterns. Upper-income households were more likely to consume healthy dietary patterns and middle-upper-income households were less likely to consume unhealthy dietary patterns when exposed to high densities of fruit and vegetable stores. When exposed to a high concentration of convenience stores, lower and upper-lower-income households were more likely to consume unhealthy dietary patterns. Food environment and sociodemographic conditions within neighbourhoods may affect dietary behaviours. Food environment interventions and policies which improve access to healthy foods and restrict access to unhealthy foods may facilitate healthier diets and contribute to the prevention of NCDs.

Measuring Urban mixed-use conditions and their impact on street vitality: a mixed-method approach tested in the context of Hong Kong’s New Towns

ABSTRACT Mixed land-use patterns have been associated with positive social outcomes such as increased access to jobs and services, improved health and neighbourhood-level quality of life. Despite this important influence, there is a lack of precise methods to quantify mixed land use conditions at district, block and street scales, and there are limited studies around the potential of new data-driven methods for analysing urban function mixing and its influence on neighbourhood vitality. The study presented here has explored how different methods of measuring mixed-use conditions can accurately reflect the experience of mixed-use and correlate with differences in urban street life. It has combined large-scale quantitative analysis with socio-economic indicators such as street store density and street vitality, to expand upon the traditional reviews of land use data and provide more detailed insights into the relationships between mixed urban functions, street vitality and community life. Using Sha Tin and Tin Shui Wai New Towns in Hong Kong as case studies, the findings reveal correlations between finer-grained mixed-use indices and street vitality, represented by the presence of optional social activities.

Longitudinal association between density of retail food stores and body mass index in Mexican school children and adolescents

BackgroundObesity is rapidly increasing in Mexican children and adolescents, while food environments are rapidly changing. We evaluated the association between changes in retail food stores and change in body mass index (BMI) in Mexican children and adolescents.MethodsData on 7507 participants aged 5–19 years old came from the Mexican Family Life Survey 2002–2012. Density of food stores at the municipal-level (number of food stores/area in km2) came from the Economic Censuses of 1999, 2004 and 2009. We categorized food stores as small food retail (small neighborhood stores, tiendas de abarrotes in Mexico), specialty foods, fruit/vegetables, convenience foods, and supermarkets. Associations between change in food stores and change in BMI were estimated using five longitudinal linear fixed-effects regression models (one per type of food store) adjusted for age, parental education, municipal-level socioeconomic deprivation and population density. Density of each food store type was operationalized as quartiles. Analyses were stratified by urbanization.ResultsThere was an inverse dose-response association between increases in fruit/vegetable store density and BMI (β = −0.455 kg/m2, β = −0.733 kg/m2, and β = −0.838 kg/m2 in the second, third, and fourth quartile). In non-urban areas, children living in municipalities with the highest density of small food retail stores experienced a reduction in BMI (β = −0.840 kg/m2). In urban areas, there was an inverse association between specialty food stores with BMI (β = −0.789 kg/m2 in third quartile, and β = −1.204 kg/m2 in fourth quartile). We observed dynamic associations with age; results suggested stronger associations in adolescents.ConclusionsThe availability of fruit/vegetable stores may influence a reduction in children and adolescents BMI. These results indicate that policy approaches could be tailored by type of food store – with some consideration for level of urbanization and children’s age.

Spatial Association Between Sociodemographic, Environmental Factors and Prevalence of Stroke Among Diabetes and Hypertension Patients in Thailand

Background: Stroke is one of the top leading causes of death and disability among adults and the elderly worldwide. Hypertension (HT) and Diabetes Mellitus (DM) are the most common contributory risk factors of stroke, accounting for up to 75% of all cases. This study aimed to investigate the spatial association between sociodemographic and environmental factors and the prevalence of stroke among DM and HT patients in Thailand. Methods: This spatial study applied global Moran’s I, the local indicators of spatial association (LISA) and spatial regression to examine the localised associations of sociodemographic and environmental factors and the prevalence of stroke among DM and HT patients in Thailand. Results: The univariate Moran’s I scatter plot of the annual prevalence of stroke in Thailand’s provinces observed significant positive spatial autocorrelation with the Moran’s I value of 0.454 (p < 0.05). The High-High clusters of strokes were mostly located in the center. The Bivariate Moran’s I indicated a spatial association between various factors and the prevalence of stroke in which the LISA analysis indicated; 16 Hot-spots or High-High clusters (HH) and 4 Cold-spot or low-low clusters (LL) with alcohol store density, 17 HH and 4 LL clusters with tobacco store density, 9 HH and 9 LL clusters with elderly population density, 5 HH and 3 LL clusters of primary care per population ratio, 16 HH and 3 LL clusters with LST, and 10 HH and 5 LL clusters with NTL. The Spatial Error Model (SEM) of spatial regression analysis has been observed to be the best model that could predict the variation in the prevalence of stroke by 50.80% (R2=0.508). SEM indicated tobacco store density (coefficient=0.065, P<0.05), elderly population density (coefficient=0.013, P<0.001, LST (day) (coefficient=1.417, P<0.05), and NTL (coefficient=0.021, P<0.05) were statistically significant associated with the prevalence of stroke among DM and HT patients in Thailand. Conclusion: Our study observed that the distribution of alcohol stores, density of tobacco stores, concentration of older adults, increasing day temperature and density of NTL were likely to be associated with enhancing the prevalence of stroke in the cluster and neighboring provinces of Thailand. The findings of this study will benefit public sectors or related organizations to develop efficient measures to control stroke.

Conrad Seabaugh & Company: An Inside Look at an Illinois Hinterland Merchant

Conrad Seabaugh & Company: An Inside Look at an Illinois Hinterland Merchant

Personal Shopper Systems in Last-Mile Logistics

This paper explores the logistics operations of instant grocery delivery services. Therefore, we introduce the instant delivery problem (IDP) to replicate and examine two widely adopted strategies in the rapid delivery market: the personal shopper system (PSS) and the inventory owned delivery (IOD) system. In the PSS, couriers visit affiliated brick-and-mortar stores in the delivery area to pick up and purchase ordered products and then deliver them to customers. In the IOD system, couriers collect products from a single distribution center, or so-called dark store, in which the platform manages the inventory. Even though a PSS strategy is asset light because of the utilization of existing retailers in the area, maintaining a good level of on-time instant deliveries with the PSS is more complex than with IOD. This is because the PSS requires deciding which store to purchase ordered goods from, and picking and shopping at stores needs to be considered in the real-time decision process. We propose a tailored rolling horizon framework that utilizes column generation to browse updated delivery plans for arriving customer orders. Computational studies both in real life–inspired settings and in case studies on selected urban areas show that the PSS is a highly competitive strategy compared with IOD, particularly when dealing with small-sized customer orders. We observe that the performance of the PSS is robust when varying the delivery service time frame. The case studies also suggest that the PSS becomes even more competitive in areas where the retail store density is high. History: This paper has been accepted for the Service Science Special Issue on Innovation in Transportation-Enabled Urban Services. Funding: This work was supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China [Grant 72150410444] to J.P. van der Gaast. Supplemental Material: The e-companion is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/serv.2022.0310 .

Impact of the built, social, and food environment on long-term weight loss within a behavioral weight loss intervention.

Behavioral weight loss interventions can lead to an average weight loss of 5%-10% of initial body weight, however there is wide individual variability in treatment response. Although built, social, and community food environments can have potential direct and indirect influences on body weight (through their influence on physical activity and energy intake), these environmental factors are rarely considered as predictors of variation in weight loss. Evaluate the association between built, social, and community food environments and changes in weight, moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), and dietary intake among adults who completed an 18-month behavioral weight loss intervention. Participants included 93 adults (mean±SD; 41.5±8.3years, 34.4±4.2kg/m2, 82% female, 75% white). Environmental variables included urbanicity, walkability, crime, Neighborhood Deprivation Index (includes 13 social economic status factors), and density of convenience stores, grocery stores, and limited-service restaurants at the tract level. Linear regressions examined associations between environment and changes in body weight, waist circumference (WC), MVPA (SenseWear device), and dietary intake (3-day diet records) from baseline to 18months. Grocery store density was inversely associated with change in weight (β=-0.95; p=0.02; R 2=0.062) and WC (β=-1.23; p<0.01; R 2=0.109). Participants living in tracts with lower walkability demonstrated lower baseline MVPA and greater increases in MVPA versus participants with higher walkability (interaction p=0.03). Participants living in tracts with the most deprivation demonstrated greater increases in average daily steps (β=2048.27; p=0.02; R 2=0.039) versus participants with the least deprivation. Limited-service restaurant density was associated with change in % protein intake (β=0.39; p=0.046; R 2=0.051). Environmental factors accounted for some of the variability (<11%) in response to a behavioral weight loss intervention. Grocery store density was positively associated with weight loss at 18months. Additional studies and/or pooled analyses, encompassing greater environmental variation, are required to further evaluate whether environment contributes to weight loss variability.

Health of the Food Environment Is Associated With Heart Failure Mortality in the United States.

Food environment factors contribute to cardiovascular disease, but their effect on population-level heart failure (HF) mortality is unclear. We utilized the National Vital Statistics System and USDA Food Environment Atlas to collect HF mortality rates (MR) and 2 county food environment indices: (1) food insecurity percentage (FI%) and (2) food environment index (FEI), a scaled index (0-10, 10 best) incorporating FI% and access to healthy food. We used linear regression to estimate the association between food environment and HF MR Results: Mean county FI% and FEI were 13% and 7.8 in 2956 included counties. Counties with FI% above the national median had significantly higher HF MR (30.7 versus 26.7 per 100 000; P<0.001) compared with FI% below the national median. Counties with HF MR above the national median had higher FI%, lower FEI, lower density of grocery stores, poorer access to stores among older adults, and lower Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program participation rate (P<0.001 for all). Lower county FI% (β=-1.3% per 1% decrease) and higher county FEI (β=-3.6% per 1-unit increase in FEI) were significantly associated with lower HF MR after adjustment for county demographic, socioeconomic, and health factors. This association was stronger for HF MR compared with non-HF cardiovascular disease MR and all-cause MR The relationship between food environment and HF MR was stronger in counties with the highest income inequity and poverty rate. Healthier food environment is significantly associated with lower HF mortality at the county level. This reinforces the role of food security on cardiovascular outcomes.

Changes in retail food environments around schools over 12 years in Flanders, Belgium

Abstract Background Food environments influence food preferences, in particular among children. Besides their homes, children spend most of their time in and around the school. This study mapped changes in retail food environments around primary and secondary schools in Flanders between 2008 and 2020. In addition, associations between those indicators and children's weight status were assessed. Methods The food environment near primary and secondary schools was mapped using three spatial indicators: 1) The density of different types of food retailers within 1000m road distance from the school entrance, 2) the percentage of schools with at least one food retailer of a certain type within 1000m road distance from the entrance, and 3) the median walking distance from the school entrance to the nearest food retailer of a certain type. Associations between the density of convenience stores, as well as fast food outlets around the schools and the weight status of the schools’ children were assessed using generalized linear models adjusted for level of urbanization, socio-economic status of children at school level and sex. Results Food environments near schools in Flanders were found to be unhealthy, with a significant increase in fast-food outlets and convenience stores between 2008 and 2020. Food environments near schools with a higher proportion of children from a poor socio-economic background were found more unhealthy than those near schools with a lower proportion of such children, regardless of the urbanization level. A significant positive association was found between the density of fast food outlets as well as convenience stores around primary schools and the weight status of children aged &amp;lt;6 years and 6-12 years. Conclusions Food environments around schools in Flanders became more unhealthy over time and were associated with children's weight status. The government therefor has the responsibility to create healthy food environments near schools to protect children's health. Key messages • The food environment near schools became more unhealthy between 2008 and 2020. • The food environment near schools was associated with younger children's weight status.

Unhealthy food environments that promote overweight and food insecurity in a brazilian metropolitan area: A case of a syndemic?

Obesity has been characterized as an ongoing pandemic. This swift and continuous weight increase cannot be explained solely by individual factors. High availability of Ultra Processed Food (UPF) and reduced supply or absence of unprocessed/minimally processed foods in food environments can influence food choices and promote a syndemic process involving overweight and food insecurity. We evaluate the association between overweight and food community and consumer environment among adults in the Metropolitan Region of Recife, Brazil and discuss within syndemic theory. Data was collected at individual and environment levels in 2019. Information on 446 individuals and 231 food stores was gathered. Logistic multi-level regression models assessed the association between overweight and neighborhood and food environment measurements which have been adjusted by individual characteristics and census track data. Prevalence of overweight and food insecurity was high, 70.9 % and 72 % respectively. Each participant had, on average, 20.64 ± 5.78 food stores in their food environment. Stores that sell UPF had the highest density rates. People living within a milieu with the highest density of stores predominantly selling UPF (OR = 1.92; p < 0.05), with the highest average UPF sold at check-out (OR = 2.19; p < 0.05), with the highest average of soft drinks available in the stores (OR = 1.68; p < 0.05), and availability of filled cookies within the intermediate category (OR = 2.26; p < 0.01), had the highest probability of being overweight. Food environment is associated with overweight, after controlling for individual factors, and it is suggested that there is a food syndemic involving overweight and food insecurity, which is influenced by the food environment.

Influence of food environment on ultra-processed drinks consumption among an economically vulnerable population in a metropolitan area in Brazil: A multilevel analysis.

Ultra-processed drinks (UPDs) consumption is increasing, and this intake has been associated with the risk of illness and death. Data on individuals (n=430) and food stores (n=231) were collected in an economically vulnerable area in Recife-Brazil, and multilevel regression models were applied to assess the association between UPDs consumption with food environment characteristics. The results show 29.5% of individuals consume UPDs, higher UPD consumption was significantly associated with age (OR: 0.96), lower educational levels (OR:2.06), high density of stores predominantly selling UPFs (OR:2.34) and lower availability of FV in stores (OR:0.49). The applied methodology can inform food environment interventions to reduce UPDs consumption.

Store density in omnichannel implementation while considering the environmental impact of packaging materials

A staggering amount of packaging materials consumption in e-commerce has become a significant threat to the environment. The option of ordering online and fulfillment by offline stores significantly decreases the use of packaging materials. The aim of this paper is to introduce an analytical model to support the decision of an omnichannel strategy implementation while simultaneously optimizing the offline stores' density, pricing strategy, and environmental impact of packaging materials. Two omnichannel models are compared, the Buy-Online-and-Pick-Up in-Store (BOPS) mode and a combination of the BOPS mode plus a Ship-From-Store (SFS) mode (BOPS + SFS). The BOPS and BOPS + SFS modes consider an inconvenience cost for consumers who decide to pick up their product at the offline store. The consumers' inconvenience cost is a function of the distance to the offline stores, which suggests that a greater stores' density results in a lower inconvenience cost. The proposed analytical model shows that both the BOPS and the BOPS + SFS modes support a reduction of the environmental impact of packaging materials when compared with the online-only mode. Moreover, there is an optimal offline stores' density that maximizes profits while reducing packaging materials. The density of offline stores is a strategic planning decision to balance operating costs and consumer inconvenience costs. The fulfillment of online orders through physical stores is an encouraging strategy to solve the problem of over-packaging and improves the customer's experience through fast and convenient order pickup; furthermore, it is aligned with the interests of environmentally aware customers. The research findings can guide decision makers when analyzing an omnichannel implementation or searching for improvement opportunities in sustainable e-commerce.

Changes in retail food environments around schools over 12 years and associations with overweight and obesity among children and adolescents in Flanders, Belgium

BackgroundChildren are susceptible to the food environment. This research assessed changes in retail food environments near schools in Flanders between 2008 and 2020 and associations with children’s and adolescents’ weight status.MethodsThe food environment within a 500 m and 1000 m road network distance to all primary and secondary schools was mapped using spatial indicators. The commercial Locatus database, including addresses of all food retailers in Flanders, was used to calculate the density of different types of food retailers near the school perimeter, the percentage of schools with at least one food retailer of a certain type near the school perimeter and the shortest distance from the school entrance to the nearest food retailer of a certain type. A generalized linear model was used to explore associations between these indicators and the percentage of children and adolescents with overweight at the school level.ResultsFood environments near schools in Flanders were found to be unhealthy in 2020, with a significant increase in fast food restaurants and convenience stores between 2008 and 2020. The density of fast food restaurants within a 1000 m walking distance from primary and secondary schools increased from 5.3 ±0.3 to 6.3 ±0.4 and from 10.2 ±0.7 to 12.7 ±0.9 respectively between 2008 and 2020, while the density of convenience stores increased from 3.2 ±0.3 to 3.8 ±0.4 and from 6.2 ±0.6 to 7.6 ±0.8 respectively.Food environments near schools with a higher proportion of children from a poor socio-economic background were found unhealthier, regardless of the urbanization level. A significant positive association was found between the density of fast food restaurants as well as the density of convenience stores around primary schools and the percentage of children aged < 6 years and 6–12 years with overweight. A positive, not significant association was found between the density of fast food restaurants as well as the density of convenience stores around secondary schools and the percentage of adolescents, aged 13–14 and 15–18 years with overweight.ConclusionFood environments around schools in Flanders became unhealthier over time and were associated with children’s weight status.

Association between density of convenience and small grocery stores with diet quality in adults living in Mexico City: A cross sectional study.

There is evidence of the association between different retail stores and food consumption, yet research is still limited in low- and medium-income countries, where the context of the food retail environment is different from that observed in high-income countries. Specifically, less is known about how convenience and small grocery stores, which offer products with immediate access, are associated with the diet as a whole. The present study assessed the association between density of convenience and small grocery stores and diet quality in adults from the Mexico City Representative Diabetes Survey 2015. A final sample size of 1,023 adults aged 20–69 years was analyzed. The density of stores was measured using Euclidean buffers within 500 meters of each participant's home. The Mexican Alternate Healthy Eating Index (MxAHEI) was used to assess diet quality. Multivariable Poisson models were used to test the association of convenience and small grocery stores densities with the MxAHEI. Although our results were not statistically significant, we observed a lower diet quality score among adults from Mexico City living in areas with a higher density of small grocery and convenience stores. More research is needed on the influence of environmental food retail on food consumption.

The Correlation between Convenience Stores’ Distribution and Urban Spatial Function: Taking the FamilyMart Stores in Shanghai as an Example

This manuscript mainly focuses on the correlation between the spatial distribution of convenience stores and the distribution of urban spatial functions. We took 1217 FamilyMart convenience stores within the Shanghai outer ring area as the research objects and used the calculation method of kernel density estimation. The results show that the distribution of Shanghai FamilyMart stores is centered on the three central urban areas of Huangpu District, Jing’an District, and Xuhui District; the high-density areas of convenience stores partially overlap with the city’s main center, and some do not. The research shows that in areas with a high distribution density of convenience stores, the establishment of the convenience stores has a strong correlation with urban spatial functions, and these continence stores have formalized a network deeply integrated with the community. We believe that, in the future, with the development of small retail businesses, these can be transformed into public activity spaces through space transformation and design, which promotes the sustainable development of community interaction and traditional retail business, stimulating the sustainability of community vitality. The results of this study show that this concept has a feasible spatial basis, and the research method can also be applied to the study of other small retail commercial spaces.

Do customers always adopt buy-online-and-pick-up-in-store service? Consideration of location-based store density in omni-channel retailing

An increasing number of retailers and researchers regard buy-online-and-pick-up-in-store (BOPS) as an important strategy of omni-channel operation. Although many studies focus on the implementation results of the BOPS mode, few explore the antecedent variables that shape its effects. By analyzing 420,020 online transactions (including 33,546 BOPS orders) generated by 110,909 customers via an omni-channel retailer, we empirically examine the impact of retailers' store density at different distances from customers' locations on BOPS adoption behavior. User characteristics, including channel preference and online purchase experience are considered as boundary conditions in this study. We control for relevant factors, conduct several additional analyses, and perform various robustness checks to validate the consistency of our results. Our research shows the significant positive effects of retailers' store density in medium distances on customers' BOPS adoption. However, retailers' store density at short-distance has a negative influence on customers' BOPS adoption. We also find that channel preference and online purchase experience show different moderating effects in the influence of retailers' store density at two difference distances on customers’ BOPS adoption. Our findings generate important theoretical and managerial implications, and suggestions for future research are discussed in detail.