Online shopping versus in-store shopping and its implications for urbanization in China: based on the shopping behaviors of students relocated to a remote campus

To clarify the role of e-commerce during urbanization, the shopping activities before and after students have relocated to a remote campus are surveyed. Under the assumption that the quality of life (QOL), the total amount of purchased commodities, and the generalized shopping cost remain unchanged, the substitution effects of online shopping on in-store shopping and its implications for urbanization are analyzed. The results show that one occasion of online shopping will replace 0.329 occasions of in-store shopping. Students who have migrated to a remote campus can maintain their QOL by efficiently using online shopping. Well-developed e-commerce may positively encourage urbanization in China and can reduce governments' subsidies for relocating institutes and universities.