US small retail businesses’ perception of competition: Looking through a lens of fear, confidence, or cooperation

Sang-Eun Byun, Siyuan Han, Hyejeong Kim and Carol Centrallo

Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 2020, vol. 52, issue C

Abstract: The U.S. retail industry has undergone dramatic changes, leading to the closing of brick-and-mortar retail stores on a large scale. Understanding perceived market competition among small retail businesses may help explain why certain businesses survive or fail in the altered retail environment. This study investigates small retail businesses' perceptions of competition within/outside the community, underlying reasons for their perceptions, and variations in perceptions by different business characteristics. Contrary to common expectations, we found that more than half of businesses interviewed were optimistic in the face of competition. Our data reveal two salient underlying reasons for pessimism and five for optimism. These perceptions tended to differ by operational locality (urban clusters vs. urban areas), business revenues, and innovativeness. Based on the findings, we developed propositions and a framework of small businesses' perceived competition and sustainable competitive advantage. We discussed theoretical and practical implications for small retail businesses’ sustainable growth in the challenging retail environment.

Keywords: Perception of competition; Small retail business; Optimism; Pessimism; Business characteristics (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:joreco:v:52:y:2020:i:c:s096969891830938x

DOI: 10.1016/j.jretconser.2019.101925

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