抄録・内容(英) | An important social issue that has emerged in recent years is the presence of ‘shopping refugees' – those who face barriers to accessing retail stores, such as distance, not having a car, or old age. Examining the experimental intervention to help such persons conducted by the administrative authorities of Kawachinagano City, this paper shows that shopping refugees exist in not only mountain areas, which are scarcely populated, but also large-scale residential areas developed near large cities, and that continuing the project will pose a substantial financial burden on the authorities. However, due to an increase in the number of elderly people and consequent shrinking of the domestic market in Japan, retail stores have undertaken new ventures to increase sales, such as, home delivery, mobile shopping, and online supermarkets, to enable shopping refugees to purchase foodstuffs. For private companies, profitability becomes a measure of business continuity. Thus, providing shopping refugees with opportunities for purchasing foodstuffs might be difficult, despite the urgent social need for such opportunities. In this situation, an innovative business model is required that enables stakeholders, such as consumers, retail companies, and administrative authorities, to share and to reduce the cost of continuing such services. |