The Complementary Mechanisms and Collaborative Governance Construction between Street Vendors and Formal Community Commerce
Main Article Content
Keywords
street vendors, community-based commerce, functional complementarity, commercial ecosystem, informal economy, urbanization
Abstract
China’s urbanization has entered a new stage characterized by high-quality development and refined governance. Street vendors and community-based commerce coexist as integral components of livelihood services. From the perspective of functional complementarity, this paper first analyzes the characteristics of street vendors and formal community commerce in terms of service positioning, spatiotemporal layout, business structure, and demand responsiveness. Second, it examines the differences and complementarities in their commercial functions, identifying complementarities in time, product categories, pricing, and goods provision. Finally, by clarifying the dimensions of complementarity and the interaction logic between the two within the community commercial ecosystem, the paper proposes a framework for their collaborative governance. This study provides a reference for balancing urban order, livelihood security, and community vitality, and promotes the formation of a new pattern of community commerce that is convenient, orderly, and dynamic, characterized by “formal commerce as the mainstay and street vendors as a supplement.”
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