Ames, Iowa (RI) — A study from Iowa State University researchers found an urban-rural divide in the U.S. when it comes to buying items and having them delivered.
Study co-author Micah Marzolf says they looked at more than a decade of shopping data.
She says their theory is that online ordering is simply faster and easier in urban areas.
Marzolf says rural consumers are also accustomed to making a trip to the store, and it’s something they are used to doing.
Marzolf, an ISU assistant professor of supply chain management, says things haven’t seemed to change as online companies have pushed to speed up rural deliveries.
She says the study gives retailers something to look at when they are trying to find the best way to focus resources.
She says that will continue to impact where companies build warehouses, which markets get premium delivery options, and where traditional retail stores remain central to local economies.
KIWA Staff Photo
