Characteristics of Food e-Commerce Users from the Geographic Viewpoint

Abstract

Everyday shopping behavior is being revolutionized by e-commerce (EC), as represented by online shopping. This study examined the characteristics of food EC users in Japan, mainly from the geographic aspects of the spatial diffusion and efficiency hypotheses. The spatial diffusion hypothesis predicts that EC use will diffuse from urban to rural areas, while the efficiency hypothesis predicts that EC use will increase in areas where access to brick-and-mortar stores is inconvenient. Analysis at the national scale using the chi-squared test revealed significant regional differences in food EC use, with greater use in the Tokyo metropolitan area. Multilevel analysis that considers both individual and regional levels revealed that regional differences in food EC use were related to regional variables such as population and the number of Internet supermarkets. This supports the spatial diffusion hypothesis of the two hypotheses related to geographic aspects of EC use. Analysis of the Tokyo 23 Wards scale showed that there is a discrepancy in the high frequency of food EC use between wards in the central and sub-central Tokyo area and the other wards.