I. Density gradient distribution of retail formats
Convenience stores in Japan cover an average of 1 per 2,200 people (Japan Franchise Association, 2023), maintain a 97% 24-hour opening rate, and their shelf turnover efficiency reaches 3.7 times per day, which is 2.3 times higher than that of the supermarket sector. In contrast, European department stores show a trend of space compression: Galeries Lafayette in Paris transformed 30% of its floor space into a brand flash zone, and Renaissance Department Store in Milan introduced an automated warehousing system to shrink its inventory area by 58% (Eurostat, 2022). In North America, warehouse outlets are spreading to the outskirts of the city, with Costco’s average annual spending by a single member reaching $1,562, 4.8 times higher than the unit price of downtown supermarkets (American Retail Federation, 2023).
II. Differences in technological penetration of payment systems
Sweden’s share of cash transactions has fallen to 9% (the lowest in the world), with near-field communication (NFC) payments covering 98% of physical merchants (Riksbank, 2023). Germany cash usage remains at 42% due to consumer privacy concerns, but biometric payment penetration in high-end department stores increases by 17% annually. Southeast Asian markets show stratification: Singapore has 76 per cent e-wallet usage, while small and medium-sized retailers in Indonesia account for 81 per cent of cash settlements (Bank for International Settlements, 2023). The China UnionPay system has access to tax refund services in 54 countries, which has compressed the timeframe for cross-border consumption tax refunds from 14 days to instant arrival.
iii. mandatory interventions for sustainable consumption
France’s Anti-Waste Law requires apparel retailers to pay a €15/kg eco-tax on the weight of unsold goods, driving up the inventory turnover rate of fast-fashion brands such as Zara to 5.8 times/year (3.2 times in 2019). The implementation of Germany’s Packaging Act led to an average 37 per cent increase in the size of bulk food sections in supermarkets and a 29 per cent reduction in the cost of purchasing reusable containers (German Environment Agency, 2023). California’s AB 1276 forced large retailers to set up counters for second-hand goods, and companies such as Target saw sales in the second-hand category increase by 41 per cent annually, with profit margins 13 percentage points higher than for new products.
Fourth, the policy game of duty-free and cross-border
After the EU abolished duty-free shopping privileges for third-country travellers in 2023, Chinese unit prices at Printemps de Paris fell by 34 per cent, while South Korea lowered its foreigner tax rebate threshold from 30,000 won to 15,000 won over the same period, stimulating 21 per cent growth in micro-consumption (World Duty Free Association, 2023). Cross-border e-commerce rules are reshaping the market: Temu relies on the $800 US Minimum Duty Free policy to achieve duty-free direct mail for single items under $10, compressing the logistics cost share to 12% (vs. Shein’s 19%).
The global shopping environment is undergoing a triple deconstruction: in the spatial dimension, retail carriers are re-anchored according to population density and consumption habits; in the technological dimension, payment tools have broken through national borders but are constrained by cultural differences in trust; and in the institutional dimension, sustainable regulations and trade policies have become new barriers to competition. This evolution reveals that the ultimate battleground of modern retailing is not shelf presence or price tags, but how to translate local regulations, technological infrastructures and consumer ethics into sustainable business models.
