Proximity Dimensions and Retail Location Choice: Evidence from Urban Supermarkets in Tangier, Morocco

Abstract

Urban supermarkets are increasingly challenged to design spatial strategies that align with consumers’ demand for convenience, accessibility, and local embeddedness. Despite the growing recognition of spatial behavior in retailing, limited research has examined how different forms of proximity jointly shape consumers’ perceptions of store attractiveness and their subsequent location choices, particularly in emerging urban contexts. This study investigates how four proximity dimensions—access, identity, relational, and process proximity—affect durable and situational attractiveness, which in turn drive consumers’ retail location choices. Data from 567 supermarket shoppers in Tangier, Morocco, were analyzed using a structural model integrating these spatial and behavioral constructs. Results reveal that proximity exerts a strong positive effect on store attractiveness, with access and identity dimensions emerging as the most influential drivers of consumer patronage. This study contributes to the geo-marketing and spatial consumer behavior literature by conceptualizing proximity as a multidimensional construct that bridges spatial accessibility, social attachment, and retail experience, offering new insights for localization strategies in emerging markets.