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T esco in K orea: Regulation and Retail Change
Author(s) -
Kim Woohyoung,
Hallsworth Alan George
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
tijdschrift voor economische en sociale geografie
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.766
H-Index - 55
eISSN - 1467-9663
pISSN - 0040-747X
DOI - 10.1111/tesg.12145
Subject(s) - liberalization , business , advertising , economics , market economy
In S outh K orea, rising resistance has slowed the advance of global retailer T esco to the advantage of traditional shopping locations. In 2013, T esco claimed that retrospectively‐applied K orean S unday trading regulations reduced its trading there by 8 per cent. We utilised secondary sources and also conducted an empirical survey of 1,092 consumers in 22 K orean cities to assess reactions to this regulatory change and found evidence of spatial switching back to traditional locations. Our K orean respondents supported the new S unday trading restraint. Such an outcome would not be expected in those Western countries where further liberalisation is still promoted. Also, the poor trading figures announced by T esco‐ H omeplus in 2013 imply that H omeplus never fully adjusted to the K orean market. Issues of society and culture continue to challenge commercial innovations: with spatial implications.