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Shopping, Borders And Unfamiliarity: Consumer Mobility In Europe

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  • BAS SPIERINGS
  • MARTIN VAN DER VELDE

Abstract

National borders are often considered to constrain the international flow of products, services, people and capital. However, borders and differences between countries could also promote cross‐border mobility. This contribution investigates what discourages and encourages cross‐border shopping mobility. This is done by categorising differences between countries into more ‘rational differences’ on the one hand and more ‘emotional differences’ on the other hand. Furthermore, the ‘bandwidth of unfamiliarity’ concept is introduced to scrutinise how the interpretation by shoppers of both rational and emotional differences generates (im)mobility. In so doing, a ‘border paradox’ is discussed, where increasing cross‐border integration (e.g. in the form of regional ‘homogenisation’) could coincide with decreasing cross‐border mobility. This paradox is used here to reveal a possible flipside of the European Union policy to promote international mobility, by trying to dissolve borders between member states.

Suggested Citation

  • Bas Spierings & Martin Van Der Velde, 2008. "Shopping, Borders And Unfamiliarity: Consumer Mobility In Europe," Tijdschrift voor Economische en Sociale Geografie, Royal Dutch Geographical Society KNAG, vol. 99(4), pages 497-505, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:tvecsg:v:99:y:2008:i:4:p:497-505
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-9663.2008.00484.x
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Asplund, Marcus & Friberg, Richard & Wilander, Fredrik, 2007. "Demand and distance: Evidence on cross-border shopping," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 91(1-2), pages 141-157, February.
    2. Ferris, J. Stephen, 2000. "The Determinants of Cross Border Shopping: Implications for Tax Revenues and Institutional Change," National Tax Journal, National Tax Association, vol. 53(n. 4), pages 801-24, December.
    3. Henk van Houtum, 1999. "Internationalisation and Mental Borders," Tijdschrift voor Economische en Sociale Geografie, Royal Dutch Geographical Society KNAG, vol. 90(3), pages 329-335, August.
    4. Kimberley Scharf, 1999. "Scale Economies in Cross-Border Shopping and Commodity Taxation," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 6(1), pages 89-99, February.
    5. Ferris, J. Stephen, 2000. "The Determinants of Cross Border Shopping: Implications for Tax Revenues and Institutional Change," National Tax Journal, National Tax Association;National Tax Journal, vol. 53(4), pages 801-824, December.
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    Cited by:

    1. Bianca B. Szytniewski & Bas Spierings, 2018. "Place Image Formation and Cross‐Border Shopping: German Shoppers in the Polish Bazaar in Słubice," Tijdschrift voor Economische en Sociale Geografie, Royal Dutch Geographical Society KNAG, vol. 109(2), pages 295-308, April.
    2. Marta Gwiaździńska-Goraj & Aleksandra Jezierska-Thöle & Małgorzata Dudzińska, 2022. "Assessment of the Living Conditions in Polish and German Transborder Regions in the Context of Strengthening Territorial Cohesion in the European Union: Competitiveness or Complementation?," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 163(1), pages 29-59, August.
    3. Iwona M. Batyk & Jan Žukovskis & Lina Pilelienė, 2023. "Determinants of Cross-Border Food Purchases on the European Union Market: Research Results from the Lithuanian–Polish Border," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(13), pages 1-21, June.
    4. Ruben Gielis, 2009. "Borders Make The Difference: Migrant Transnationalism As A Border Experience," Tijdschrift voor Economische en Sociale Geografie, Royal Dutch Geographical Society KNAG, vol. 100(5), pages 598-609, December.
    5. Henrik Basche, 2021. "Exploring Determinants of ‘Mental Distance’ in Cross‐Border Contexts," Tijdschrift voor Economische en Sociale Geografie, Royal Dutch Geographical Society KNAG, vol. 112(3), pages 288-303, July.
    6. Anna A. Mikhaylova & Jan A. Wendt & Dmitry V. Hvaley & Agnieszka Bógdał-Brzezińska & Andrey S. Mikhaylov, 2022. "Impact of Cross-Border Tourism on the Sustainable Development of Rural Areas in the Russian–Polish and Russian–Kazakh Borderlands," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(4), pages 1-29, February.
    7. Frédéric Durand & Jen Nelles, 2014. "Dossier: Institutions and skilled mobility. Guest Editors: Gery Nijenhuis & Maggi W.H. Leung," Tijdschrift voor Economische en Sociale Geografie, Royal Dutch Geographical Society KNAG, vol. 105(5), pages 573-590, December.

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