Ola Thufvesson

This paper contributes to previous research on retail safety by extending the concept of safety beyond the retail store. To this end, the aim of the research is to examine the mutual relationship between retail stores and public safety in disadvantaged urban environments. The goal is to demonstrate the potential of physical retail establishments in urban environments for creating resilient and socially sustainable urban environments in line with UN’s global sustainability agenda 2030. A secondary goal is to generate a discussion about the responsibility for living downtown areas and the potential value of physical retailers for public safety in cities. Thus, research contributes to a current debate about what is left in the cities when customers choose to shop elsewhere. The importance and vulnerability of retail are often highlighted in times of crisis (e.g. the COVID-19 pandemic), but behind such crises are slower processes linked to negative media images, unattractive physical urban environments, and the structural transformation of retail.