A study has found that large offline retail stores contribute to the revitalization of nearby traditional markets and commercial districts.
Professor Jo Chun-han of Gyeonggi University of Science and Technology presented this on the 28th at the 2025 Korean Association of Small and Medium Enterprises Spring Academic Conference held at the Korea Federation of Small and Medium Enterprises in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, with the theme 'The changing role of large stores in response to changes in the competitive environment and ways to coexist with small business owners.' It is the result of a study on the impact of Starfield Suwon on the commercial district of Suwon.
Looking at the changes in offline industry sales before and after the opening of Starfield Suwon in 2023 and 2024, only the sales in Jangan-gu increased by 6.72%, while Gwonseon-gu (-5.2%), Yeongtong-gu (-3.4%), and Paldal-gu (-4.49%) saw declines.
In terms of sales by industry in Jangan-gu, restaurants accounted for 47.1% of total sales, and it was found that sales increased by 4.66% after the opening of Starfield. It indicates that the demand for dining out also increased as people came to shop at Starfield. It primarily showed that this benefit extended within a radius of 5 km.
It was found that 67.6% of customers at Starfield Suwon come from a distance of over 7 km. Among the traditional markets within 5 km, it also showed that there was a positive effect, excluding the Suwon Furniture Street shopping district and the Gbuyatan Market.
Professor Jo analyzed, '55% of consumption in Suwon occurs internally, but the possibility of outflow has increased due to transportation development, making the competitiveness of commercial areas important.' He noted that while consumption by residents of Jangan-gu has decreased, the influx of residents from other districts has increased consumption related to purchases within Jangan-gu, helping to prevent the collapse of the overall commercial district.
He further stated, 'The commercial district of Suwon is evolving into a competitive area against the capital region.' He suggested that a reevaluation of the traditional commercial preservation area, where openings within a radius of 1 km are prohibited, is necessary. To enhance weekend attractiveness, actively reviewing the designation of weekdays as mandatory closure days should be considered.