From Supermarkets to Online Shops: How did the Modern Food Retail Geography Change in Istanbul?

Abstract

Since the 1980s, Turkey has undergone a process of internationalized capital, foreign capital entering the Turkish market and consumption becoming a lifestyle, under the impact of neoliberal policies. This process had a great effect on the retail sector, which has a dynamic structure. In order to survive in the climate of tough competition they found themselves in, retailers became organized, which included entry to new markets, growth through mergers and acquisitions and the formation of new channels. In this article, this process of change is explained using the conceptual framework of the “New” Retail Geography, which sees the relationship between space and retail as bilateral and mutually determinant. This article intends to answer the question, ‘How has the spatial structure of modern food retail[1] changed in Istanbul since the 1980s?’ and it focuses on the metropolis of Istanbul which accounts for a large proportion of total retail sales and where the greatest change is observed. In this context, a spatial diffusion process of change from supermarkets to large scale food retailers, to discount stores and finally to e-commerce, which has become more important with the effect of Covid-19.

[1] Modern food retail or organized food retail can be used.