A Study on Changes of Consumer Behavior and Commercial Environment Using GIS

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In the nationwide process of the restructuring of regional economies and the revisions of urban planning framework, it has become a major policy issue how to vitalize the city center and consequently to build a sustainable community. The purpose of this research is to grasp an appropriate perception of the rapidly changing commercial environment in Tokushima Prefecture and to analyze the diversified consumer behavior with the use of Geographical Information System (GIS). (1) Since the opening of the Honshu-Shikoku Bridge Expressway between Kobe and Naruto in April 1998, we have seen a remarkable increase in the number of consumers from Tokushima to Kansai Area, most notably younger people. It is estimated from the Census of Commerce that annual sales of goods (per capita) of Tokushima Prefecture became the lowest among the thirty-one non-metropolitan areas in Japan. (2) Due to its small market size and higher transport costs, Tokushima had very few large commerce facilities. It was only as late as in the late-nineties that large commercial complexes were constructed in the suburban ring, where there were advantages of easy accessibility, lower land prices and fewer restrictions on development. With the growth of the suburban area, the city center of Tokushima City became deserted and some large-scale stores were closed. (3) The result of a questionnaire conducted about shopping behaviors in Tokushima shows as many as 80% of shoppers are using a car. This car-oriented lifestyle in Tokushima has broadened consumers' destination options and fostered wider trading areas. Also, analysis of the data gained from Investigation of Person Trip indicates the presence of complicated shopping trip patterns of workers after leaving their office. Changes in a regional commercial environment should be having further influences on consumer flow.