ABSTRACT
Retailing in rural areas is undergoing dynamic transformations: individual shops’ sales areas keep increasing in size while shop locations become more and more concentrated. As a result, there are more and more areas where a classical supermarket or discounter can only be reached after a longer car drive. These developments suggest that areas without a food supply might develop in rural regions which can threaten the food security of their population, especially of those who are less mobile. Behind this trend are the strategies of large integrated retail and wholesale groups like Edeka, Rewe, and Aldi that focus on establishing ever larger shops while closing down smaller outlets.
