An Empirical Approach to Evaluate Management Performance Using a Trading Area Analysis: Focus on Small and Medium-sized Retail Businesses

Purpose - This paper proposes measurement models to evaluate the management performance of small and medium-sized retail businesses on the basis of a trading area analysis that compares their proposed revenue to actual revenue in the trading area. Research design, data, methodology - The study proposes measurement models consisting of five stages, namely: (1) district background survey, (2) customer survey, (3) competitor survey, (4) business district survey, and (5) business performance analysis. Results - To identify business districts easily, this study preferred a minor-adjusted method based on the Euclidean distance, as it is simple to employ for the small and medium-sized businesses. This model was applied to select coffee shops in Daejeon. Results indicated that although the targeted shop was not located in an appropriate location, actual sales were higher than expected. Conclusions - Small- or medium-sized retail businesses face difficulties regarding the economies of scale and brand recognition and must choose an appropriate location to ensure management stability. However, such businesses will find it difficult to evaluate their competitive edge accurately using a trading area analysis.