Examining the effectiveness of government policy for retail districts: evidence from Korea

This paper seeks to measure the effects of policy on the self-employed conducting business in traditional retail districts. To verify policy we perform a practical analysis utilizing the multi nominal logit model on the relationship between consumption behaviors and the attendant satisfaction level of consumers in the urban commercial districts. We first identified traditional retail districts that have received government policy support and those that have not. We then visited these districts to survey the satisfaction levels of customers. In total, 400 people were surveyed for this study. The results show that political support for the self-employed who conduct business inside the traditional retail districts had a partial effect. Especially, for the policy beneficiaries, the customer’s satisfaction level in specific political support has a very important meaning. The study analyzes the factors necessary for the continuous growth of traditional retail districts, considering consumption behaviors and shop selection attributes. We argue that government support can help sustain regional commercial districts and the individual self-employed through consumer behavior and the magnification of satisfaction levels.