The location of retail stores and street centrality in Guangzhou, China

Transportation networks have a profound influence on the location of retail stores, but there has been little research on the relationship between the location of retail stores and street centrality in traditional commercial metropolises. Based on three indices, namely, closeness, betweenness, and straightness, in a multiple centrality assessment (MCA) model, we analyzed the location of various retail stores and street centrality in Guangzhou using points of interest (POI) and street network data. The results show that street centrality in Guangzhou has a large impact on the location of retail stores and that different store types have different centrality orientations: (1) The location of all retail stores correlates most highly with betweenness, followed by closeness and straightness. (2) Shopping malls favor street centrality most, followed by convenience stores, specialty stores, textile and clothing stores, supermarkets, building material stores, and traditional grocery stores. (3) Apart from traditional grocery stores, which are weakly correlated with street centrality, shopping malls and convenience stores value locations with better closeness, while the other retail store types tend to distribute in areas with better betweenness. Our findings can help guide urban planners in designing commercial activity zones and transportation networks.