@article{AppelHardaker2021,
  author    = {Appel, Alexandra and Hardaker, Sina},
  title     = {Strategies in Times of Pandemic Crisis — Retailers and Regional Resilience in W{\"u}rzburg, Germany},
  series = {Sustainability},
  volume    = {13},
  journal   = {Sustainability},
  number    = {5},
  issn      = {2071-1050},
  doi       = {10.3390/su13052643},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-233991},
  year      = {2021},
  abstract  = {Research on the COVID-19 crisis and its implications on regional resilience is still in its infancy. To understand resilience on its aggregate level it is important to identify (non)resilient actions of individual actors who comprise regions. As the retail sector among others represents an important factor in an urban regions recovery, we focus on the resilience of (textile) retailers within the city of W{\"u}rzburg in Germany to the COVID-19 pandemic. To address the identified research gap, this paper applies the concept of resilience. Firstly, conducting expert interviews, the individual (textile) retailers' level and their strategies in coping with the crisis is considered. Secondly, conducting a contextual analysis of the German city of W{\"u}rzburg, we wish to contribute to the discussion of how the resilience of a region is influenced inter alia by actors. Our study finds three main strategies on the individual level, with retailers: (1) intending to "bounce back" to a pre-crisis state, (2) reorganising existing practices, as well as (3) closing stores and winding up business. As at the time of research, no conclusions regarding long-term impacts and resilience are possible, the results are limited. Nevertheless, detailed analysis of retailers' strategies contributes to a better understanding of regional resilience.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{AppelHardaker2022,
  author    = {Appel, Alexandra and Hardaker, Sina},
  title     = {Einzelhandel als Katalysator f{\"u}r nachhaltige urbane Radlogistik? - W{\"u}Livery, ein Fallbeispiel aus W{\"u}rzburg},
  series = {Standort},
  volume    = {46},
  journal   = {Standort},
  number    = {1},
  issn      = {1432-220X},
  doi       = {10.1007/s00548-021-00758-y},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-268437},
  pages     = {9-15},
  year      = {2022},
  abstract  = {Die Covid-19-Pandemie gilt in vielen gesellschaftlichen Teilbereichen als Beschleuniger f{\"u}r Transformationsprozesse. Auch im Bereich der Organisation urbaner Logistik und Einzelhandelslandschaften etablieren sich neue Akteur*innen und Funktionen. Logistiker*innen integrieren lokale Onlinemarktpl{\"a}tze in ihre Profile und der station{\"a}re Einzelhandel generiert Wettbewerbsf{\"a}higkeit gegen{\"u}ber großen Onlineh{\"a}ndler*innen {\"u}ber die Nutzung lokaler Radlogistiknetzwerke, mittels derer Lieferungen noch am Tag der Bestellung (Same-Day-Delivery) verteilt werden k{\"o}nnen. Damit leisten die involvierten Akteur*innen potenziell auch einen Beitrag zur Nachhaltigkeitstransformation im Bereich urbaner Logistiksysteme. Im Fokus steht das Fallbeispiel W{\"u}Livery, ein Kooperationsprojekt des Stadtmarketingvereins, der Wirtschaftsf{\"o}rderung, Radlogistiker*innen sowie Einzelh{\"a}ndler*innen in W{\"u}rzburg, welches w{\"a}hrend des zweiten coronabedingten Lockdowns im November 2020 umgesetzt wurde. Die entstehenden Dynamiken und Organisationsformen werden auf Basis von 11 Expert*inneninterviews dargestellt und analysiert. Es kann gezeigt werden, dass st{\"a}dtische Akteur*innen grundlegende Mediator*innen f{\"u}r Transformationsprozesse darstellen und Einzelh{\"a}ndler*innen und lokale Onlinemarktpl{\"a}tze als Katalysator*innen fungieren k{\"o}nnen. Das ist auch vor dem Hintergrund planerischer und politischer Kommunikationsprozesse zur Legitimation neuer Verkehrsinfrastrukturen nutzbar, da die einzelnen Akteur*innengruppen in Austausch kommen und ein gesteigertes Bewusstsein f{\"u}r die jeweiligen Bedarfe entsteht.},
  language  = {de}
}
@phdthesis{Hardaker2015,
  author    = {Hardaker, Sina},
  title     = {Development and Outlook for Grocery Retailing Internationalization in China: Competition and Format Expansion within a Geographical Context},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-123076},
  school      = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg},
  pages     = {287},
  year      = {2015},
  abstract  = {Purpose - The purpose of this dissertation is to reveal the status quo of development of the grocery retailers' internationalization process in China as well as to model future trends, opportunities and challenges within a very competitive market. Using several, geographically distant cities as case studies, this paper focuses on the development and outlook of different store formats, along with the development of competition in this respect by explicitly treating China not as a single market. The study thereby analyses historical and geographical diffusion in regard to store formats. The impacts of the main factors of change are discussed. Design/methodology/approach - The dissertation reviews extensively the literature of grocery retail internationalization with special focus on China. In addition, it draws on primary research in the form of a wide range of expert interviews. As China´s 'supermarket revolution' is underway, an understanding of the local and foreign competition and the development of different store formats within different regions of China as well as their prospects, will be crucial to companies expanding into this area. Findings - The study explains how grocery retailers have already entered the Chinese market with different store formats and how competition has and will further develop. In addition, the study reveals challenges and obstacles in regard to future market strategies, especially in regard to store formats and geographical regions. Research limitations/implications - The study reveals the current landscape of the Chinese grocery retailing market and emphasizes important strategic pillars, modelling future implications and challenges for food retailers operating in China. Because China is a vast country this dissertation forms only a small part of the geographical evolution process in regard to store formats and competition. Practical implications - Explores current understanding of the internationalization process in China by considering different format choices. Supplementary, the dissertation proposes an outlook of competition enlargement, prospects of format development and therewith strategic implications within different regions as well as a future research agenda. Originality / value - Contributes to the understanding of the Chinese grocery retailing market. Furthermore, it is among the first to critically explore possible future developments in regard to store formats and competition within a geographical context in China},
  subject      = {Lebensmitteleinzelhandel},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{Hardaker2021,
  author    = {Hardaker, Sina},
  title     = {Platform economy: (dis-) embeddedness processes in urban spaces},
  series = {Urban Transformations},
  volume    = {3},
  journal   = {Urban Transformations},
  issn      = {2524-8162},
  doi       = {10.1186/s42854-021-00029-x},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-271329},
  pages     = {1-13},
  year      = {2021},
  abstract  = {Digital platforms, understood as multi-sided matchmakers, have amassed huge power, reimagining the role of consumers, producers, and even ownership. They increasingly dictate the way the economy and urban life is organized. Yet, despite their influential and far-reaching role in shaping our economic as well as sociocultural world, our understanding of their embeddedness, namely how their activities are embedded in systems of social and societal relationships and how they conceptualize their main functions and actions in relation to their wider setting, remains rudimentary. Consequently, the purpose of this frontier paper is threefold. Firstly, it reveals the need to discuss and evaluate (dis-)embedding processes in platform urbanism in order to understand the underlying dynamics of platform power and urban transformation. Secondly, it aims to reveal the main reasons in regard to the difficulties in pinpointing digital platforms embeddedness. Thirdly, it seeks to propose future research unravelling the (dis-)embeddedness of the platform economy. This paper argues for three main reasons namely unawareness, unaccountability and non-transparency of digital platforms that drive the lack of embeddedness and reaffirms platform power. This is mainly based on the configuration of new commodities, platforms' strategic avoidance of labour protections and other regulatory frameworks as well as platforms' secrecy in which they operate. This frontier paper argues that transferring the concept of embeddedness to the platform economy might serve as a valuable tool to understand and pinpoint essential dynamics and relationships at play, therefore proposing embeddedness as a basis for future research on the platform economy. It strongly argues that a more detailed understanding is urgently needed, in order to be able to understand, accompany and actively influence the development of the platform economy in regulatory terms.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{Hardaker2022,
  author    = {Hardaker, Sina},
  title     = {More Than Infrastructure Providers - Digital Platforms' Role and Power in Retail Digitalisation in Germany},
  series = {Tijdschrift voor Economische en Sociale Geografie},
  volume    = {113},
  journal   = {Tijdschrift voor Economische en Sociale Geografie},
  number    = {3},
  doi       = {10.1111/tesg.12511},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-287297},
  pages     = {310 -- 328},
  year      = {2022},
  abstract  = {Digital platforms, such as Amazon, represent the major beneficiaries of the Covid-19 crisis. This study examines the role of digital platforms and their engagement in digitalisation initiatives targeting (small) brick-and-mortar retailers in Germany, thereby contributing to a better understanding of how digital platforms augment, substitute or reorganise physical retail spaces. This study applies a mixed-method approach based on qualitative interviews, participant observation as well as media analysis. First, the study illustrates the controversial role of digital platforms by positioning themselves as supporting partners of the (offline) retailers, while simultaneously shifting power towards the platforms themselves. Second, digital platforms have established themselves not only as infrastructure providers but also as actors within these infrastructures, framing digital as well as physical retail spaces, inter alia due to their role as publicly legitimised retail advisers. Third, while institutions want to help retailers to survive, they simultaneously enhance retailers' dependency on digital platforms.},
  language  = {en}
}