Types of grocery stores and demographic and household factors in Japanese provincial area

<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title> <jats:sec> <jats:title>Background</jats:title> <jats:p>Neighborhood grocery stores, such as supermarkets (SM) and convenience stores (CVS), have received attention as a determinant of a food purchase behavior. Previous studies reported that grocery store entry or closure was associated with regional populations. This study examines the association of types of SM (i.e. cross-regional, local, or small chain stores), CVS, and household demographics in the cities, towns and villages (having its own incorporated government) in Hiroshima and Okayama Prefectures, Japan.</jats:p> </jats:sec> <jats:sec> <jats:title>Methods</jats:title> <jats:p>We hypothesized that the entry and closure of SM, CVS are associated with the regional population and type of family household from interview surveys with supermarket and wholesale operators. We collected data on SM and CVS from Large-Scale Retail Store Data in Japan, while data on demographics and households were collected from the census. Data sets from 59 municipalities (city, town, ward, and village) and 49 SM chains (498 stores) and 8 CVS chains (1235 stores) were analyzed using multiple regression analysis.</jats:p> </jats:sec> <jats:sec> <jats:title>Results</jats:title> <jats:p>Some household factors showed significant associations with the number of SM and CVS at the municipality level. Those municipalities with a greater number of extended families and single households had significantly more “cross-regional” as well as “local chain SM” stores. Those municipalities with more nuclear families had significantly more “small chain SM” and fewer “local chain SM” stores. Those municipalities with more single households had significantly fewer SM stores.</jats:p> </jats:sec> <jats:sec> <jats:title>Conclusions</jats:title> <jats:p>In these prefectures, population declining and single household increasing are expected over the coming decades. If no political interventions are allowed on this issue, some of “food desert” may emerge for the hundreds of thousands people living in these areas; elderly people may not get fresh vegetables in their neighborhood, and young parents will have to drive for hours to “cross-regional SM” to buy fresh milk for their children.</jats:p> </jats:sec> <jats:sec> <jats:title>Key messages</jats:title> <jats:p>Supermarkets and convenience stores are determinant of a food purchase behavior. The association of the number of types of SM, CVS, and demographic and household factors.</jats:p> </jats:sec>