Neighborhood stores in the metropolitan area of Guadalajara: the detailed singularities of retail trade

Within the realm of traditional commerce, the so-called corner stores or grocery shops boast the greatest amount of singularities within this genre. In terms of their registration before governmental institutions, it is the least informal and given its geographical immobility it is the one with the least territorial scope and therefore, the least advantageous with regards to proximity. Using the of local grocery shops in the metropolitan area of Guadalajara, Mexico as a point of reference, the objective of this paper is to analyze the sociodemographic characteristics of these establishments existence and the role that these shops play in regards to food supply within said conurbation area. To this end, a survey was applied to a statistically representative sample of shop owners and customers. In keeping with traditional commerce, their unit sales are comprised of small volumes of merchandise and their operation based on family structure, scarce infrastructure, and little support equipment. Thus, we conclude that proximity to their customers provides them with a significant advantage, their continuance in the market is strengthened since said advantage favors the distribution of products with a high energy content, generally supplied directly from large companies that produce these goods. Similarly, we highlight that the competition that exists among these establishments is normally inclined towards those that treat their customers better and those that offer a wider variety of products. Despite the growing presence of large retail chains, the customers of these grocery shops expect to continue shopping there.