The conditions for retail business in the countryside - the case of South Bohemia

Abstract

The paper focuses on the results of an investigation into the buying behaviour of customers in a selected small town in the peripheral rural environment of the Czech Republic, presents the reasons for and benefits of shopping for rural residents in towns, and the benefits of shopping in the place of residence or over the Internet. The aim of the research was to identify the context of the buying behaviour of customers in a small rural town in the South Bohemian region when buying food in the place of residence and outside the place of residence, and in doing so to articulate the prerequisites and conditions of the retail business. A questionnaire and a case study were used as research methods in order to obtain data for analysis. The main finding of the research is that peripheral rural locations are able to retain their customers even when faced with the competition of multinational chains.