What is it about?
This conceptual paper analyzes how retail activities are evolving from a linear to a more circular and sustainable model. Drawing on classic retail theories—like the Retail Life Cycle and the Wheel of Retailing—as well as Bauman’s concept of “liquid modernity,” the article explores how offline retail is being redefined in response to digitalization, globalization, and changing consumer behavior. The authors identify ten emerging trends that show signs of a circular retail shift, including phygitalization, glocal retail, and the resilience of small shops. The paper reflects on how retail, territory, and consumers are becoming more interconnected, with physical stores regaining relevance as spaces for local identity, ethical consumption, and urban revitalization.
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Why is it important?
This study provides a timely reflection on the transformation of retail in the face of e-commerce, market saturation, and environmental concerns. It challenges the idea that offline retail is in decline by showing how hybrid, locally anchored formats are emerging. The work highlights the importance of territorial context and consumer engagement in shaping the future of commercial spaces. Its conceptual framework helps academics, planners, and retailers understand the forces driving the shift toward more resilient and sustainable urban commerce.
Perspectives
This article opens new avenues for understanding retail not merely as an economic activity, but as a territorial and cultural phenomenon undergoing deep transformation. It proposes that the evolution toward circular models—rooted in local identity, consumer responsibility, and digital integration—is already underway, even if uneven across geographies. The study suggests that urban planners and retailers alike should consider phygitalization, omnichannel strategies, and consumer-led initiatives as essential elements of retail’s future. While the paper is conceptual, it lays the groundwork for empirical research to test whether this circular dynamic is taking hold in different contexts, and how public-private partnerships or local entrepreneurship can support this shift. It positions retail as a powerful agent of sustainable urban regeneration.
Dr. María Dolores De-Juan-Vigaray
Universitat d'Alacant
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Retailing, Consumers, and Territory: Trends of an Incipient Circular Model, Social Sciences, October 2019, MDPI AG,
DOI: 10.3390/socsci8110300.
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