The effect of shopping centers on small businesses Kayseri case

As in almost every aspect of life, consumer habits have been changing continuously. Consumers wish to find every product altogether have started to visit shopping centers not only to shop, but also to spend time and have fun in these complexes which are growing in number. In an economy, where small sized businesses have a big share, this situation has brought some difficulties. Throughout the current research, which was conducted as a qualitative case study, effects of shopping centers on small businesses in Kayseri province were investigated. The sample of the study was determined using criteria and convenient sampling techniques. Data was collected through non-structured and semi-structured interviews. While non-structured interviews were performed within the limits of pre-determined concepts, a form developed by the researcher was used during semi-structured interviews. Collected data was analyzed using descriptive and content analysis techniques. According to the findings, shopping centers effect small businesses in various ways. These effects differ depending on both sector and characteristics of the small business. In order to be able to escape from effects of shopping centers, small businesses follow various ways such as diversifying products, putting quality forward, decreasing prices, considering local demands, fulfilling personal requests, giving importance to customer relations, and reducing costs. Those small businesses which cannot follow these ways prefer either shifting to other sectors or even shrinking. In general, small businesses which can differentiate themselves from shopping center businesses and which can benefit from customer flow of the shopping centers, outperform others. Keywords: Small business, shopping center, Kayseri