Spatial peer effect of retail stores' digital transformation: an analysis using the survey data from China

Social and economic progress are mostly driven by digital technology. Encouraging the digital transformation of retail stores is a major priority for both the government and the academic community. This study empirically examines the spatial peer effect of retail stores' digital transformation by using survey data from China. The degree of a retail store's digital transformation increases with the level of its spatial peer retail stores' digitization, as shown by the significant spatial peer effect we uncover in the spatial lag model. Local governments in China should focus on building a prototype retail store for digital transformation to encourage other retail stores to follow suit.

Automated summary

Social and economic progress are mainly driven by digital technology. Encouraging the digital transformation of retail stores is a priority for the government and academic community. This study empirically examines the spatial peer effect of retail stores' digital transformation using survey data from China. The findings show that a retail store's level of digital transformation increases with the digitization level of its spatial peer stores, indicating a significant spatial peer effect. Local governments in China should focus on establishing prototype retail stores for digital transformation to encourage other retail stores to follow suit.